Srinagar: Imams and Molvis of various religious organisations and Masjids of Kashmir discussed the continuous closure of Jamia Masjid, barring of APHC chairman from leading Friday prayers and imposing strict curbs in downtown areas on every Friday to prevent people from reaching to the grand Masjid.
In day-long deliberations over a series of issues, in which besides Ulema, a cross section of society including traders, and civil society activists participated, a joint resolution was passed asking government to allow prayers in the Jamia Masjid and to lift the siege on Fridays in down town areas or else a joint strategy would be formed taking all sections of society on board to resist the lockdown of the grand mosque.
The joint meeting was called by the Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar at Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal. The meeting was chaired by vice president of the Auqaf and Imam of Jamia Masjid Moulana Ahmed Syed Naqshbandi while as incarcerated chairman of the AHPC Mirwaiz Umar Farooq address the gathering of Ulema and civil society activists over phone.
Among those who participated in the meeting included President of Jamiat-e-Ahlihadith Ghulam Muhammad Bhat Al Madani, Patron of Anjuman-e-Himayatul Islam Moulana Khursheed Ahmed Qanoongo, President Islamic Study Circle Dr Yousuful Umar, representative of Muslim Waqf Board Moulana Noorani, Spokesman of Jamaat-e-Islami Advocate Zahid Ali, president Kashmir Economic Alliance Muhammad Yasin Khan, while a written letter of Kashmir’s Grand Mufti, Bashiru Din regarding the issue was read out in the meeting.
The participants of the meeting said that the pulpit of Jamia Masjid has been the central to the religious identity of the Muslims of the valley They said thousands of people from nooks and corners of Valley travel long distances to pray at the mosque as they have a deep emotional attachment to it and barring them from praying there greatly hurts their religious sentiments and the religious sentiments of Muslims across the valley. They asked the government to stop the harassment of the Muslims and let people offer prayers there. (KNS)
