August 05, 2017 00:19:46 | Javid Ahmad

Mirwaiz gives sermon through phone

After facing resentment from local population, mainstream and separatist leaders and civil society members, the PDP-BJP coalition government allowed the Friday congregational prayers at historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar after seven weeks.

All the gates of the Jamia Masjid that remained locked for last six weeks were finally thrown open for worshipers’ by authorities today.

Hundreds of people including men, women and children visited the Jamia Masjid today and offered Friday prayers there.

The authorities had disallowed Friday prayers at the mosque since from last six week.

No Friday prayer was allowed by the authorities in Jamia even on the last Friday of Ramadan. Since then, the authorities had consecutive for six week barred people from offering Friday prayers in the mosque.

The disallowing of Friday prayers at the historic grand mosque by the government had drawn strong resentment from local population, mainstream and separatist leaders, religious groups, civil society members and traders.

Meanwhile, after completion of Friday prayers, youth attempted to take out a protest march to protest civilian killings, arrests and frequent restrictions in downtown Srinagar.

The police and CRPF men, who were deployed there, fired tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge to disperse the youth, who pelted stones on them.

The cops also fired pellets to disperse the protestors, who were chanting pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans.

Locals said some youth sustained injuries in the forces action.

However, Medical Superintendent SMHS hospital, Dr Nazir Hussain Chowdary, told Rising Kashmir that only one person with pellet injuries was brought to the hospital.

“One person with pellet injuries on eyes was brought to the hospital,” he said.

However, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and cleric, who gives Friday sermons in Jamia, continued to remain under house arrest at his Nageen residence. He was not allowed to move out of his house to visit Jamia to offer Friday prayers.

Mirwaiz, however, gave the Friday sermon to people on phone.

He said a heavy contingent of forces was deployed to discourage people from offering prayers at Masjid.

“After 7 weeks, Friday prayers were allowed. There was heavy deployment on all routes leading to JamaMasjid to discourage people. I addressed people over phone,” Mirwaiz wrote on a micro-blogging site, Twitter.

javid@risingkashmir.com