The Crossbill News Desk
Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday (August 14) alleged that authorities had once again restricted his movement and placed him under house arrest, preventing him from attending prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid.
The restriction came ahead of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the Islamic month associated with the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.
In a post on X, Mirwaiz criticised the repeated restrictions imposed on him on Fridays and questioned the government’s claims about normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Placed under house arrest yet again, on the eve of the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal. The repeated and arbitrary restrictions imposed on Fridays are highly condemnable. If the authorities themselves do not trust their own narrative of “normalcy” enough to repeatedly prevent me from going to Jama Masjid, what credibility does that narrative have?” he wrote on X.
“It is the second consecutive Juma I have been disallowed,” he said.
Mirwaiz also posted screenshots purportedly taken from CCTV footage showing security personnel stationed outside the entrance to his residence in Srinagar’s Nigeen area. No official explanation for the restriction was immediately available.
The development comes at a significant time for the Muslim community, with Rabi-ul-Awwal beginning and the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad observed on the 12th day of the month. Mirwaiz is expected to participate in religious programmes marking the occasion.
He is scheduled to address a religious gathering at Khanqah-e-Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar on August 17 as part of the Khwaja Digar observance. It remains unclear whether the latest restriction will affect his participation.
Mirwaiz, whose principal religious role includes delivering the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid, was under house arrest for nearly four years following the events of August 2019.
After his release, he has periodically been permitted to resume religious activities at the mosque but has subsequently faced restrictions, particularly on Fridays.
The latest episode has again brought attention to the restrictions on the separatist-turned-religious figure’s public and religious activities, even as the authorities maintain their broader narrative of normalcy in the region.
The restriction came ahead of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the Islamic month associated with the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.
In a post on X, Mirwaiz criticised the repeated restrictions imposed on him on Fridays and questioned the government’s claims about normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Placed under house arrest yet again, on the eve of the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal. The repeated and arbitrary restrictions imposed on Fridays are highly condemnable. If the authorities themselves do not trust their own narrative of “normalcy” enough to repeatedly prevent me from going to Jama Masjid, what credibility does that narrative have?” he wrote on X.
“It is the second consecutive Juma I have been disallowed,” he said.
Placed under house arrest yet again, on the eve of the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal. The repeated and arbitrary restrictions imposed on Fridays are highly condemnable.
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) August 14, 2026
If the authorities themselves do not trust their own narrative of “normalcy” enough to repeatedly prevent me… pic.twitter.com/aUidtpxVRE
Mirwaiz also posted screenshots purportedly taken from CCTV footage showing security personnel stationed outside the entrance to his residence in Srinagar’s Nigeen area. No official explanation for the restriction was immediately available.
The development comes at a significant time for the Muslim community, with Rabi-ul-Awwal beginning and the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad observed on the 12th day of the month. Mirwaiz is expected to participate in religious programmes marking the occasion.
He is scheduled to address a religious gathering at Khanqah-e-Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar on August 17 as part of the Khwaja Digar observance. It remains unclear whether the latest restriction will affect his participation.
Mirwaiz, whose principal religious role includes delivering the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid, was under house arrest for nearly four years following the events of August 2019.
After his release, he has periodically been permitted to resume religious activities at the mosque but has subsequently faced restrictions, particularly on Fridays.
The latest episode has again brought attention to the restrictions on the separatist-turned-religious figure’s public and religious activities, even as the authorities maintain their broader narrative of normalcy in the region.
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