The largest mosque in Indian Kashmir reopened after 8 months

Srinagar (India), March 4 Indian authorities today canceled a ban on Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, the capital of Indian Kashmir, after nearly eight months. “Police officials told us earlier today that we could go to Friday prayers,” Altaf Ahmed Efe, general secretary of the management committee of the main mosque in Srinagar, told PTI. It marks the end of a 31 – week ban imposed by authorities to prevent crowds from turning into anti – government protests. The move has been in effect for the past two-and-a-half years, after New Delhi abruptly decided in August 2019 to revoke the semi-autonomous status of this Muslim-majority region. The century-old mosque, traditionally the center of political activity, was built on the 15th and was closed for weekly prayers from August 2019. In December 2020, we were only allowed Friday prayers for five weeks, ”said a representative of the mosque. “Jamia Masjid is known for giving voice to the political rights of the people of Kashmir (…) that is why the authorities always see this place as a problematic place,” one of the attendees told Efe. Anonymity. Thousands of people, men and women, today gathered at the historic temple for regular prayers, leaving emotional images among the participants and returning to the sanctuary for collective prayer. It is not possible to pray in the mosque at this time, “said Altaf. In addition to closing mosques, authorities imposed curfews, cut off communications and placed house arrests of key religious and political leaders in the region. Although restrictions were gradually lifted in most areas and most mosques, the Jamia Masjid remained closed. Mirwais Omar Farooq, the chief cleric and separatist leader who delivered speeches at the mosque on Friday, has been under house arrest since August 5, 2019. His arrest “rejects India’s false claim that all religions are treated equally”. The management of the Jamia Mosque told EFA anonymously. Kashmir is the only Muslim-majority region of India, where there is a strong sense of support for independence. India and Pakistan have disputed the region since the partition of the subcontinent after independence from the British Empire in 1947, and have waged several wars over it. EFE sa-igr / mt / jac (photo) (video)