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SRINAGAR
Jamia Masjid Srinagar closed for 12 consecutive Fridays in 2016 on Sep 30, 2016. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)
There seems no end to “official” ban on mandatory Friday congregational prayers in historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar.
On twelfth consecutive Friday, government clamped down on Nowhatta areas disallowing faithful to offer the mandatory congregational prayers in the historic Masjid.
It was on July 08, 2016 – the day popular Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in Bemdoora Islamabad – that last congregational prayers were offered in the Masjid.
On Thursday after Pakistan said that two of its army Rangers were killed on Line of Control in firing by soldiers on this side, hundreds of people gathered in the premises of the Masjid and offered funeral in absentia for the slain duo. Later, forces deployed outside fired tear gas canisters to disperse the people who raised pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans.
“There is curfew in the area,” a resident of Nowhatta area said, “CRF and police men are deployed in huge numbers and we are not being allowed to come out of our homes.”
Kashmir is witnessing public uprising triggered by the death of Burhan and at least 90 civilians were killed and other 14500 were injured in forces actions. Besides Jamia Masjid Srinagar, government disallowed Friday congregational prayers in major Masjids across Kashmir in last two 84 days.
“We offer congregational prayers in smaller Masjids now,” a local of Nowhatta said.
Incarcerated Hurriyat Conference (m) chief leads congregational Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid. He is under arrest since July 08, 2016 evening – the day Muslims were celebrating third Eid-ul-Fitr in Kashmir and world over.
Governments in Kashmir have been closing Jamia Masjid Srinagar off and on whenever public uprisings are triggered in Kashmir. Be it 2008 or 2010, Jamia Masjid was shut for many consecutive Fridays for the mandatory prayers which Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani and other resistance leadership have termed as “interference in religious affairs”.
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