* Derides Mehbooba over Jamia desecration
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 1: After terming the desecration of the pulpit of the Jamia Masjid as anti-Islamic act by the ISIS inspired group of youth, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, today said that they will cleanse the Masjid ahead of Friday prayers.
Mirwaiz has called the meeting of the Awami Action Committee at Mirwaiz Manzil and after that “cleansing drive will be carried out by volunteers and locals from 3pm to 4pm followed by Asr prayers”.
The head priest was highly critical of the act by the ISIS inspired youth and termed it as anti Islamic act. He said that it won’t be tolerated. The Hurriyat has also decided to observe Friday as YoumeTaqadus (Day of Honour). He said that there will no Friday prayers held in any local Masjid in the area and people have been asked to offer prayers at Jamia Masjid.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also derided former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s anger over the desecration of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid.
Mehbooba had yesterday telephoned Mirwaiz to express her condemnation at the attempted desecration of Jamia Masjid.
“The phone call of Mehbooba Mufti condemning the Jamia incident which she is broadcasting in media for obvious reasons is quite ironical as it was during her tenure as Chief Minister that people were barred from offering prayers at the mosque most of the time”, said Mirwaiz in a statement.
He said the Masjid was locked down for three months in 2016 and in 2017, for the first time, even Jumat-ul-Vida (Last Friday) congregation during Ramadan was not allowed. In 2018, 16 Friday prayers were barred at the mosque.
“During that period Mirwaiz was either put under house arrest or in jail as in 2016. If Mehbooba Mufti during her tenure as Chief Minister had the same feelings towards Jamia Masjid which she calls ‘the landmark and most important religious and social institution of Kashmir’, she should have shown the courage to stand up for the religious rights of Muslims of Valley instead of presiding over the bans and bars on Jamia Masjid. Then her ‘outrage’ would at least have been sincere,” he said.
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