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Authorities in Kashmir did not allow congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid on Friday in view of apprehensions of protests against the Israeli action in Gaza. The grand mosque located in Nowhatta area of the city was locked.
The Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid – the managing body of the mosque – in a statement, said police officials have closed the gates of the mosque Srinagar and informed it that Friday prayers will not be allowed. The Auqaf also claimed that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq “has yet again been put under house arrest early morning today”. The Mirwaiz was recently released after four years of house detention in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
Security forces personnel were deployed in strength around the mosque to maintain law and order. While there was no official word on the reason for the closure of the mosque for prayers, sources told PTI that there were apprehensions of protests against the Israeli action in the Gaza Strip. Over 2,000 people have been killed on either sides since Saturday.
On Wednesday, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, headed by Mirwaiz, expressed “anguish and grief” over the loss of lives in the ongoing Palestinian-Israel conflict. Mirwaiz stated that Palestinians have been “gravely wronged” and are suffering. “Youth, women and even children are being killed, their homes are bombed and destroyed, they are subjected to humiliation and surveillance all the time, their livelihood is fast dwindling,” he said.
