- Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, recently liberated from his extended house arrest, conveyed his emotions to a crowd of well wishers who congregated at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid.
- He conveyed that the challenging four-year span of his home confinement mirrored the profound emotional upheaval he endured after the tragic assassination of his father, Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq in 1990.
Kashmiri luminary Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has emerged from a period of house confinement.
In an emotionally charged congregation held at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Farooq stated, “The four years I spent in house detention were the worst period of my life after the assassination of my father, Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq, in 1990.”
Amid a substantial security presence at the mosque, he emphasized the necessity of resolving the dispute with India through dialogue, asserting, “Jammu and Kashmir may be a territorial dispute for many, but it is a humanitarian issue craving resolution through dialogue.”
Farooq lamented his house detention that commenced after August 4, 2019, stating, “People are aware that after August 4, 2019, I was kept under house detention, and I was not allowed to move out of my home, due to which I was unable to perform my duties as Mirwaiz.” He continued, “The Hurriyat Conference continued to raise its voice, but the media stopped using our statements. I want to tell my people that it is the time to be patient, to have faith in the Almighty.”
A day prior to the Indian government’s revocation of Indian-administered Kashmir’s limited autonomy on August 5, 2019, which culminated in the region’s division into two federal territories, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was apprehended. This move precipitated an unprecedented security lockdown and mass arrests, targeting pro-India politicians, prominent separatist leaders, legal professionals, and ordinary Kashmiri residents in anticipation of popular protests.
The separatist leader ardently called for the release of those imprisoned during the 2019 crackdown, including traders, journalists, and human rights activists. He concurred with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that the contemporary era is not one of warfare. Mirwaiz Farooq underscored their persistent advocacy for a peaceful resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue and lamented the undeserved label of being anti-peace.
A poignant scene unfolded as dozens of individuals broke down when Mirwaiz ascended the pulpit of Srinagar’s medieval Jamia Masjid to deliver his maiden Friday sermon as a free individual. The 50-year-old leader himself became emotional during the address. Scores of well-wishers gathered at the mosque’s entrance, adorning him with garlands, while almonds and candy were offered as they fervently chanted pro-Islam and pro-Mirwaiz slogans.
Historically, the Jamia mosque has occupied a central role in Kashmir’s political landscape, hosting the largest gatherings on Fridays and significant Islamic occasions like Eid and Lailat-ul-Qadr. Given Mirwaiz’s role as the chairman of a faction within the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a coalition of several pro-freedom parties, the mosque had become an essential center for pro-freedom politics.
The adjacent Nowhatta neighborhood once served as the epicenter of Friday protests, often escalating into confrontations between pro-freedom demonstrators and law enforcement. However, since August 5, 2019, when the Indian government revoked the region’s autonomy, Friday prayers and other significant religious gatherings have been prohibited at the mosque.
In the wake of August 5, 2019, numerous individuals, including a significant portion of the pro-freedom leadership, were incarcerated. Mirwaiz Farooq, although spared from imprisonment, endured an extended period of house detention, second in duration only to the late Syed Ali Geelani, the 89-year-old Hurriyat leader who passed away while under house arrest in September 2021.
Mirwaiz’s release coincided with the liberation of prominent religious leaders Moulana Mushtaq Veeri and Moulana Dawoodi from detention under the stringent Public Safety Act, allowing detention without trial for up to six months.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir, a longstanding contentious territory, has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Both nuclear-armed South Asian nations assert sovereignty over the entire region while governing distinct parts. The Kashmir issue has precipitated two of their three full-scale wars, leading to frozen bilateral relations since 2019.
Mirwaiz emphasized the imperative of a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue to alleviate the suffering endured by the people of Kashmir.