January 15
Various clerics from South Kashmir have alleged that the Government Forces have barred them from leading Friday gathering in South Kashmir mosques.
The clerics of Idara Tehqiqat e Islami founded by slain Mirwaiz of South Kashmir, Dr. Qazi Nisar, speaking to The Kashmiriyat said that the forces summoned them to their camps and asked them not to lead prayers in various mosques of Pulwama, Shopian districts in South Kashmir.
Buland Iqbal, who lead Friday prayers at Nagbal area in South Kashmir’s Shopian said that he was summoned to the camp of Indian Army located in the area.
“They questioned me and even threatened me and wanted to decide the content of my Friday sermons, which is intolerable to me,” Buland Iqbal told The Kashmiriyat.
He said that forces have their job to do and we have our own, this policy of interference into our religious affairs is nothing but provocative.
Mansoor Ahmed, a cleric who lead Friday prayers at Moshwara area of South Kashmir’s Shopian has been similarly barred after several summons.
He was the chief preacher of the area for more than eight years. “i had developed a relation with the people in the area, even though i am a resident of Islamabad (Anantnag) district, but suddenly i have been forced to have no ties with the people in the area,” Moulana Mansoor told The Kashmiriyat.
The Army chief recently marked the repetitive statements of certain sections of Indian media that clerics have been provoking people to throw stones and pick up guns.
He categorically stated that such speeches must stop.
Various other clerics including Aijaz Hashmi in Awantipora and Irshad Attari in Litter Pulwama, who are associated with Idara Tehqiqat e Islami, founded by Dr. Qazi Nisar have been forced to give up leading Friday gatherings.
An Army official upon being contacted told The Kashmiriyat that the clerics have been giving provocative speeches and they have received orders from higher Ups to do so.
However the clerics denied this and said, “Our content is Islamic and we cannot have the content of our sermons decided by anyone.”
Sources meanwhile told The Kashmiriyat that a massive crackdown is likely to start against religious outfits in Kashmir.