In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, fearing massive demonstrations against the sentencing of Hurriyat leader, Muhammad Yasin Malik, to life imprisonment by an Indian court, the authorities did not allow people to hold Juma prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, today.
Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid in a statement issued in Srinagar said that once again, the authorities did not allow Friday prayers at the grand mosque and locked it down, turning away men and women who had come to offer congregational prayers. It termed the move as very unfortunate.
“This morning the magistrate and police personnel came to Jamia Masjid and informed the staff that no Friday prayers will be allowed today. Later, the main gate of the grand masjid was locked by them,” the statement said.
The Anjuman said people, especially elders, women and youth from far off areas come to this historic mosque; and finding the masjid repeatedly locked down by the authorities causes them a lot of grief. It deplored that Anjuman Auqaf’s head Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is also kept under continuous house arrest, and not allowed to deliver sermon at the mosque.—KMS
