The ancient Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, prohibited Eid-ul-Fitr prayers once again on Saturday.
Authorities prohibited prayers at the main mosque in the area, which is located in the Nowhatta neighbourhood of downtown Srinagar and has historically been the scene of several fights and political protests.
The biggest mosque in the area attracted a significant number of people who came to worship, but were disappointed when they discovered the gates were barred.
Some individuals referred to the ban as a “interference” in regional religious affairs, while others said it “exposes” the administration’s assertion that the situation in Kashmir has been quiet since Article 370 was repealed.
People were informed by the security guards at the gates that the mosque would not be open for prayer.
Is the Eid prayer a danger to world peace? I don’t understand,” a senior citizen who identified himself as Ghulam Hasan remarked.
The decision to forbid prayers at the revered mosque was made after pro-Azadi sloganeering occurred there yesterday following congregational Friday prayers, which also happened to be the last Friday of the holy Ramadan, according to a representative for the mosque who spoke to Outlook.
On the fourth Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, the mosque likewise forbade the offering of prayers.
On the blessed night of Shab-e-Qadr, when nighttime prayers were offered in the mosque, prayers were formerly permitted there.
Since the area lost its sovereignty and became a union territory on August 5, 2019, Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid has been permanently shuttered.
The mosque’s former prayer leader, the separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is no longer permitted to lead the prayers there. However, according to the administration—and as confirmed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha—Mirwaiz is a “free man.”