Continued House Arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Sparks Outrage in IIOJK

For the fourth consecutive Friday, Indian authorities have barred senior Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from delivering sermons at Srinagar’s iconic Jamia Masjid—deepening concerns over religious repression and political silencing in IIOJK.

In yet another move seen as targeting Muslim religious leadership in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the Indian-installed administration in Srinagar placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest today. This action prevented him from addressing the congregational Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid.

Mirwaiz, known for his influential Friday sermons, was detained at his Nigeen residence by the administration led by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. This marks the fourth straight Friday he has been barred from attending the mosque—raising serious concerns over freedom of religion and expression.

The Anjuman Auqaf of Jamia Masjid, which manages the mosque’s affairs, issued a strong condemnation of the continued detention. In its statement, the organization denounced the “arbitrary and unjust” restrictions, claiming they aim to silence the Mirwaiz’s voice on key issues affecting the Muslim community and to undermine the Jamia Masjid’s religious role.

According to the Anjuman, this pattern of suppression is part of a larger agenda to weaken the valley’s spiritual and cultural institutions. It appealed to civil society groups, human rights organizations, and justice advocates to take a stand against what it called an “ongoing injustice.”

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also voiced his frustration. He described the repeated house arrests as an “authoritarian tactic” to marginalize the Mirwaiz institution and erode the central role of the Jamia Masjid in the region’s religious and political life.

He referred to the crackdown as an attempt to inflict “collective grief” on the Muslim population and to silence voices of resistance. Despite filing a petition in the High Court for relief from these restrictions, the case continues to remain pending.

Mirwaiz expressed that in the face of such injustice, patience and resilience remain the only source of strength for the people of IIOJK. The move has drawn criticism from civil society organizations and human rights defenders, who view the repeated detentions as an assault on religious freedoms and political dissent.