As Srinagar's Jamia Masjid Closed During Ramzan, Mirwaiz Farooq's "Our Hearts Cry" Remark

The iconic Jamia Masjid Srinagar was closed by authorities on Friday as thousands were expected to attend Jum-atul- Wida ( Farewell Friday congregation) of the fasting month of Ramzan. But in other major mosques, including Dargah Hazratbal, large congregational prayers were held on the last Friday of Ramzan.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chief priest of the mosque, termed the locking of the Jamia mosque as deeply painful and tried to draw parallels with restrictions around Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Mirwaiz himself was put under house arrest.

It is the seventh consecutive year that Jum-atul-Wida congregational prayers could not be held in Jamia Masjid, the biggest cultural and religious centre of Kashmir. Inside the mosque, it has a space for around 50,000 worshippers and many more pray in its lawns and mosque premises during religious congregations.

Last Friday, the mosque was also closed as part of wider security restrictions in the Valley following protests over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the management body of the mosque, has strongly condemned the continued closure of the mosque on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Wida.

The Auqaf said authorities locked the gates of the historic mosque from all sides and placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest and prevented him from delivering the sermon and leading prayers.

"Such restrictions not only hurt the religious sentiments of the people but also amount to denying worshippers their fundamental right to pray," said the Auqaf in a statement.

The management body said the repeated closures of the mosque are an "unjustified policy of restrictions on religious practices"

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq released a video message and termed the closure of the mosque on Jum-atul-Wida as painful.

"During the sacred month of Ramzan, Israel has forcibly shut the gates of Masjid al-Aqsa. It is so painful. And here, Kashmir's biggest worship place, Jamia Majid was also forcibly closed for worshippers. Our hearts cry tears of blood," said Mirwaiz.