Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said he was once again placed under house arrest on Friday, preventing him from delivering the weekly sermon at Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid for the third week in a row.
Speaking out against what he described as arbitrary and recurring restrictions, Mirwaiz questioned the legality of the move, calling it an attack on both religious freedom and civil liberties. “If we are governed by laws, then under what provision is worship criminalised?” he asked in a public statement.
The cleric criticised authorities for repeatedly detaining him without formal orders or explanations. “Each week, on Fridays or whenever they choose, I’m locked inside my home, denied basic freedoms, and barred from fulfilling my religious obligations,” he said, accusing officials of operating with unchecked power.
He also criticised institutional silence, pointing to the absence of legal or political accountability. “Those responsible for ensuring oversight seem unwilling or unable to question such excesses,” he added.
Photographs shared by Mirwaiz on social media, showing security personnel stationed outside his residence, appeared to confirm his claims.
The move has triggered criticism online, with social media users denouncing the restrictions as both unconstitutional and insensitive. Many framed the detention as an infringement not just on Mirwaiz’s rights, but on the religious sentiments of those who attend his sermons. Others described the continuing restrictions as part of a broader pattern of suppression, particularly following the 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370.
Mirwaiz has frequently been placed under house arrest in recent years, especially on Fridays or during periods of political tension. The detentions are widely seen as efforts to restrict his religious and political influence in the region.
