Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claims house arrest amid Waqf Act row

Srinagar, April 11 (IANS) Senior separatist and religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Friday, alleged that authorities had placed him under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, thereby preventing him from delivering his weekly sermon and offering prayers at the Jamia Masjid.

Mirwaiz Umar said on X, “Yet again, this Friday put under house arrest and barred from offering prayers at Jama Masjid. It’s is both heartbreaking and outrageous that authorities continue to trample on my basic religious rights - at their will. The resolution formulated by MMU -the meeting of which was also not allowed, against the Waqf Amendment Act will be read out today in mosques, shrines, and Imambaras across J&K”.

Two days ago, the authorities had disallowed the meeting of the Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU) -- an amalgamation of religious organisations in the Valley headed by Mirwaiz -- convened at the residence of his residence. The meeting was called to discuss the fallout of the Waqf Amendment Act.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently banned the Awami Action Committee (AAC) headed by Mirwaiz Umar for five years. The MHA order said that the AAC was a secessionist organisation indulging in anti-national activities and encouraging youths to resort to violence.

The ACC was formed in 1963 by the late Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq during the Holy Relic agitation.

After the elder Mirwaiz was assassinated by terrorists in 1990 in his uptown Nigeen residence in Srinagar city, the ACC came to be headed by his son, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

In another order, the MHA also banned for five years the Ittihadul Muslimeen headed by Maulvi Masroor Abbas. The organisation was banned for its activities against the state and for acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the country.

The organisation was part of the separatist Hurriyat Conference and was headed by Maulvi Abbas Ansari, the senior Shia Muslim leader. After the death of Maulvi Abbas, his son, Maulvi Masoor Ansari, headed the Ittihadul Muslimeen.

The Mirwaiz is head of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, which was formed in 2003 when the Hurriyat Conference split into two groups -- the hardline group headed by late Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the moderate group headed by Mirwaiz Umar. However, several of its associate outfits are distancing themselves and are pledging loyalty to the constitution of India.

--IANS

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