Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar has expressed surprise and resentment over the closure of central religious places including the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar, Asare-e- Sharif Dargah Hazratbal Khanqah-e- Moula and Astaan Aalia Makhdoam Sahab (RA) for Friday prayers by administration under the guise of COVID- 19, terming this attitude of the rulers as extremely regrettable and appalling.
The Anjuman in a statement issued to the news agency-Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that after a long gap, Jamia Masjid Srinagar was reopened last Friday for prayers and worship.
The Anjuman Auqaf had ensured that people who came to the mosque for prayers fully follow the COVID SOP guidelines. “But today, the authorities closed not only the Jamia Masjid and other central and important places for Friday prayers, but on the contrary, an attempt was made to create an atmosphere of fear and panic by deploying heavy military contingent around many central places of warship.”
The statement said that due to the closure of central mosques, people al many places offered prayers on streets and outside compounds in protest and expressed their indignation against the attitude of the rulers.
Anjuman Auqaf said that it’s ironic that on ones hand all concerns regarding Covid are being ignored when it comes to asking people to participate in official functions while restrictions are being imposed on Friday prayers and worship in central mosques, shrines and Imambaras where Covid SOPs are being fully followed, the statement said.
Apart from seeking removal of restrictions on the Jamia Masjid as well as all other major places of worship. the Anjuman Auqaf has demanded immediate release of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is detained under house arrest for the past 25 months and is been barred from performing important religious duties such as Friday prayers far mare than two years now.
Stating that authorities were crossing all limits regarding interference in religious affairs which was a matter of great concern lo the people of Kashmir, the Anjuman demanded immediate removal of these undue restrictions-(KNO)