This year Jamia Masjid locked for record 18th Friday

Even in peak militancy we haven’t seen such restrictions: Mirwaiz

The Authorities Friday disallowed congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid in a record 18-th time this year.
All gates of Jamia Masjid were locked as forces remained deployed in full riot gear while the main road and other link roads leading to the mosque were blocked with concertina wires.
Chief cleric of the mosque and Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was put under house arrest while worshippers were disallowed to enter the mosque.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had called for protests after Friday prayers against against civilian killings.
Mirwaiz later tweeted: “18th Friday of this year #JamaMasjid locked down once again by the Anti Muslim ruling regime. @MehboobaMufti following the path, rather breaking the record of her predecessors by disallowing Muslims from offering Friday prayers and imposing restrictions in #ShahreKhaas !”
Talking to Kashmir Post, Mirwaiz said, “It is the record time since 1990 that the Jamia Masjid was locked down for 18 times”.
“Since 90’s it is the highest number of times the mosque was shut down by the ruling regime. Even in 90’s when the militancy was at its peak, the mosque was not closed for so many times,” he said.
He said the ruling PDP-BJP dispensation even broke the record of Dogra regime. “The mosque was even closed on last Friday of Ramadhan. It is a shame for the ruling class,” he said.
Slamming the authorities, Mirwaiz termed it a “shameful operating procedure” to impose restrictions and disallowing Muslims from offering congregational prayers.
He said the pulpit of Jamia Masjid is the only place left out by the regime which represents the political aspirations of Kashmiris.
“This government wants to shutdown this place as well. We won’t let that happen. The Pulpit of Jamia Masjid has always been representing political and socio-religious sentiments of Kashmiris,” said Mirwaiz.
He termed the frequent restrictions in the entire Downtown area and not allowing the Friday prayers as the expression of “frustration and dictatorial attitude of the rulers.”
“If they think that we would be deterred and would give up our just struggle by using these means of suppression against us, they are then living in fool’s paradise,” said Hurriyat (M) chairman.