SRINAGAR — The Jamia Masjid’s head cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday led the congregational prayers after four straight weeks and stated that he has suffered personally for advocating dialogue.
As per a statement issued to the news agency KNO, Mirwaiz said that he and his family are being targeted as the “policy of harassment” is being pursued against him.
During his Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz said that the saddest part of life for him is being away from the pulpit of Jamia Masjid as “policy of harassment” continues to be pursued against him.
While urging the authorities to revisit this “policy of harassment” and “discrimination”, Mirwaiz said that he and his family members are being targeted.
He also said by next week, a new government will be formed in India and hoped that whoever comes to power would take a realistic and humane approach to dealing with the Kashmir imbroglio.
He also said that he and the Hurriyat always believed that the Kashmir issue must be resolved through dialogue for everlasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “It is the course that I and my colleagues advocate and have always practised, even at the cost of harm to us. If lasting peace and progress of people is our aim, our approach should also reflect it.”
He also paid homage to Shaheed-e-Millat and the martyrs of Hawal on their 34th and 22nd martyrdom anniversary which was on May 21 and stated that because of his detention and cordoning of Eidgah, “we could not collectively pay homage to these martyrs.”
He said that for four years, he has been detained continuously at home and since September last year when he was released, he is being detained and released again and again.
“It is a strange situation. After the series of propaganda attacks in 2018 alleging me of ownership of properties belonging to Anjuman Nusratul Islam, Auqaf Jamia, Darul Khair and in random places here and there, all proving false and unfounded, now an FIR is lodged against me and my close kin, in which they claim that land and house in which I live can be confiscated and I evicted.”
He added that the land was purchased and the house was built by his late father through proper legal documentation in 1973, when he was born. “I am being accused of malpractice in it. What does one have to say about this? My brother-in-law, a dedicated, honest and respected senior civil servant, which everyone including them knows, is also being harassed because of the relationship.”
Mirwaiz also said that besides the policy of seeking verifications and clearances from Kashmiris applying for jobs, passports, or identity cards is causing great stress among people, especially the youth. “People of Jammu Kashmir have the first right to jobs in their land and they should not be denied it on any pretext,” he added.
Meanwhile, he expressed grief and sorrow over the bus accident in Akhnoor that killed 22 people and injured dozens. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
