Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid remained closed on the revered night of Laylatul Qadr, barring devotees from offering night-long prayers.
Condemning the decision, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief priest, expressed deep anguish, calling it an “extremely regrettable and condemnable” move. In a post on X, he lamented that tens of thousands of Muslims who have traditionally gathered at the mosque on this night for worship and supplication will now be deprived of their spiritual solace.
“On the highly revered night of Laylatul Qadr, when Muslims around the world supplicate and seek Allah’s forgiveness, the central Jama Masjid Srinagar will be closed to the people, and no prayers will be allowed there,” Mirwaiz wrote.
Reacting to the event, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti said, “The shutdown of Jamia Masjid on the sacred night of Laila-tul-Qadr represents another example of collective punishment imposed on Kashmiris. The government which claims & celebrates that it has eradicated separatism persists in viewing every Kashmiri as a potential separatist. Their false narrative of having restored total normalcy is exposed when a historic mosque is closed off to worshippers on a night so deeply cherished by all.”
