Eid prayers not allowed at Srinagar Eidgah, Jamia Masjid shut for 7th year; Mirwaiz, Omar, Mehbooba disturbed

Srinagar: For the seventh consecutive year, congregational Eid prayers were not allowed at Srinagar’s historic Eidgah, and the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta remained shut. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric, confirming the development, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), writing:

“Eid Mubarak! Yet again, Kashmir wakes up to the sad reality: no Eid prayers at Eidgah, and Jama Masjid locked down — for the 7th straight year. I too have been detained at my home.”

However, Eid prayers were held at Aali Masjid Eidgah, where large number of men and women offered prayers.

Mirwaiz also expressed deep concern over what he described as a continuing pattern of restrictions on major religious gatherings, particularly on Islamic festivals. “Kashmiris are repeatedly denied the right to pray together on Eid,” he noted.

Authorities have yet to release an official statement explaining the restrictions this year. In previous years, law and order concerns were commonly cited.

The decision sparked political criticism. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed disappointment, stating:

“If the situation is normal as is often claimed, why are prayers not being allowed at Jamia Masjid? These decisions raise more questions than they answer.”

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the move. Iltija Mufti, PDP spokesperson, questioned the contradiction between official claims of normalcy and on-ground restrictions.

“If everything is normal, why are the gates of Jamia Masjid Srinagar closed and Mirwaiz detained?” she asked.

The Jamia Masjid, a prominent symbol of Kashmir’s religious and cultural life, has frequently been placed under lockdown during sensitive occasions since 2019. Community leaders and civil society members have voiced growing frustration over what they call a systematic denial of religious freedoms.

So far, there has been no formal response from the administration on  the closure of Srinagar’s central religious sites.