SRINAGAR: After 30 weeks, Friday prayers were held at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. About 3,000 people from different parts of the Valley had congregated at the grand mosque in Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar for the namaz as the authorities allowed prayers after 30 weeks.
Emotional scenes were witnessed as men, women and children were seen kissing the pillars of the mosque. The Friday sermon was given by cleric Syed Ahmed Naqshbandi since Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been under house detention since August 5, 2019, when the Centre scrapped J&K’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
Altaf Ahmad, general secretary of Anjuman Auqaf, the managing body of the Jamia Masjid, said they were informed on Thursday evening by the authorities to go ahead with Friday prayers in the mosque.
Welcoming the decision, Abdul Khaliq, a devotee, said, “It is a revered place for us and continued closure of the mosque for the Friday prayers had hurt our religious sentiments.” He hoped that the Mirwaiz is also released so that he could deliver the Friday sermons in the mosque.