Srinagar: Authorities on Friday placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest, preventing him from delivering the Friday sermon at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, amid fears he would mention the martyrs of July 13, 1931, in his address.
In a statement, Mirwaiz strongly condemned the move, saying, “I didn’t go to Jama Masjid today as I was disallowed and put under house arrest, fearing I might speak about the martyrs of July 13. This departure from religious and historical tradition is deeply painful.”
He said the sacrifices made by the 1931 martyrs and others who laid down their lives for justice and dignity remain ingrained in Kashmir’s collective memory. “Such sacrifices cannot be erased by restrictions and bans. No living nation can forget the supreme sacrifice of its martyrs in the fight against tyranny and injustice,” he said.
Calling on authorities to lift the restrictions, Mirwaiz appealed for people to be allowed to peacefully commemorate Martyrs’ Day. “Inshallah, if permitted, we will visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard on July 13 after Zuhr prayers to pay homage to the revered martyrs, as per our long-standing tradition,” he added.
Martyrs’ Day, observed annually in Kashmir on July 13, commemorates the killing of 22 Kashmiris by Dogra forces outside the Srinagar Central Jail in 1931.
