Chairman of the Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq during his Friday sermon said that starting from the oppression of Dogras to New Delhi’s forcible control on Kashmir, the pulpit of Jamia Masjid has reverberated with the voice against repression.
While expressing strong protest over the forces action on the Mosque last Friday, Mirwaiz added, ” The pulpit has always highlighted and represented the true aspirations of people of Kashmir to break free from the yoke of subjugation.”
Mirwaiz said that whether it was the Sikh rule, or the Dogra rule, Jamia Masjid was targeted time and again.
“In 1931 it was for the first time during Dogra rule when the grand masjid was closed for Jumat-ul-Vida(last Friday of Ramzan) prayers. Since then conspiracies were hatched against Jamia Masjid over the past 90 years and one of the brutal assaults on the sanctity of this masjid was on August 25, 1989 under operation Jamia Masjid when the Kashmir’s spiritual centre was desecrated.”
Strong protest & resentment in #JamaMasjid today against the desecration of the revered mosque at the hands of police and forces last friday and the brutal assault on namazis and youth which grievously injured many among them.Since 1913 the pulpit of Jama Masjid is has and shall pic.twitter.com/kdkD4pYJ8O
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) June 1, 2018
be the voice of peoples resistance to oppression and their just demand for self determination of their destiny. We demand immediate release of all political prisoners , removal of black laws including AFSPA and steps towards demilitarisation of #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/xPirnkCWfK
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) June 1, 2018
Mirwaiz said that Jamia Masjid continues be a sore in the eye for the ruling regimes including those at the helm today as its pulpit represents the sentiments and aspirations of the people and fearlessly raises its voice against oppression and atrocities inflicted on the people of Kashmir in pursuit of the fulfilment of those aspirations.
Mirwaiz said that the more repressive measures government takes to damage the sanctity and centrality of the Jamia Masjid, the more people should throng the place to give a befitting reply to the government that Kashmiris will never surrender. He said even today barricades were erected by the police at various places to prevent youth and people from reaching Jamia Masjid.
Referring to the sub human plight of the political prisoners in various jails across India, Mirwaiz said these prisoners have been languishing in jails for years on end and some of of them have even completed, 25 years in prisons .He named all the 25 political prisoners who are lodged in various jails in and outside the state that include Muhammad Qasim Fakthoo lodged in Udhampur jail Jammu having completed 25 years in prison. Similarly, Javaid Ahmed Khan is in Tihar jail Delhi and has completed 21 years.
Mirwaiz also said that Hurriyat leaders arrested by the NIA and ED and lodged in New Delhi’s Tihar that include Shabir Ahmed Shah, Advocate Shahidul islam, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Mehraudin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Ghulam Muhamamd Bhat, Zahoor Ahmed Wali, Shahid Yousuf, Farooq Ahmed Dar and others.
He said under a well planned conspiracy, these prisoners have been lodged either in small prison cells or along with dreaded criminals which pose a direct threat to their life. He also condemned the arrest of Syeda Asiya Andrabi and many of her associates
Mirwaiz paid tributes to the Kashmiri prisoners for their perseverance courage and commitment towards the goal of right to self-determination. He asked GoI to give up its obstinacy and policy of revenge and release these prisoners forthwith, remove AFSPA and start demilitarisation from Jammu Kashmir.
Mirwaiz said that as per the past practice, this year too, coming Friday will be observed as Jumatul Vida and also as Youm-e-Qudus (in solidarity with Palestine) and also Youme-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Day).
