1st Friday of Ramadan: Emotions run high as Muslims offer congregational Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid

Anjuman, Imam Hai demands immediate release of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

Srinagar, Apr 08 : Emotional scenes were witnessed during the congregational Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid today where a large number of people participated in the mandatory Friday prayers on the first Friday of the holy month Ramadan.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), people from different areas across Kashmir including men, women, children and old participated in the mandatory Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid.

However, the Jamia Masjid’s head cleric and Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, Molvi Umar Farooq couldn’t address the gathering at the grand Masjid as he continued to remain under house detention.

Meanwhile, Anjuman Auqaf Jamia deeply regretted and protested that the pulpit of Jamia Masjid continued to remain silent even on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan when the Masjid would reverberate with Zikr and supplications to the Almighty led by the Mirwaiz, who continues under arbitrary house arrest for the third consecutive year.

Anjuman member and imam Hai of Jamia Masjid, as per a statement issued to KNO said that tens of thousands of people who visit Jamia Masjid more so in Ramadan to listen to the soul stirring majlis waz o tableegh led by the Mirwaiz were eagerly waiting for him, hoping that the authorities would at least release him now, but were greatly disappointed and pained when he was on nice again barred by the authorities. Anjuman and the people present in the mosque protest this harshness of the authorities and denounce it in strong terms.

Anjuman said that as is the centuries old tradition in the valley, throughout this holy month of Ramadan, Mirwaiz e Kashmir delivers sermons across the Masjids of the Valley to educate people on religious values and beliefs and to the path of compassion, humanity and righteousness.

It works as a moral force in society. But all that remains suspended due to his house detention, the Anjuman said and asked the authorities to release Mirwaiz Umar Farooq whose rendition of waz of tableegh people greatly miss and are pained by his absence—(KNO)