Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Silenced Under House Arrest Ahead of Friday Congregation

India’s house arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq exposes its relentless assault on Kashmiris’ Religious freedom and identity.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-installed Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) administration in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has once again demonstrated its authoritarian grip on the region. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), was placed under house arrest in Srinagar today. 

This oppressive act aims to prevent him from offering Juma prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid and from participating in religious and social activities. Such tactics exemplify India’s broader strategy to crush dissent and silence voices advocating for justice in IIOJK. 

Ahead of Friday prayers, Indian police blocked the gates of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s residence in the Nageen area of Srinagar. The APHC spokesman, Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, denounced this blatant suppression, calling it a systematic attempt to erode Kashmir’s religious and cultural identity. 

This is not an isolated incident. For two consecutive Fridays, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been barred from addressing public gatherings and fulfilling his religious obligations. These restrictions violate basic human rights and reveal the BJP’s obsession with controlling every facet of life in IIOJK. 

Preventing a prominent leader from performing religious duties is not just an attack on individual freedom but a direct assault on the collective spirit of the Kashmiri people. Such actions aim to dismantle the unity and resolve of a population already reeling under decades of oppression. 

The BJP government’s Hindutva-driven policies have weaponized every aspect of governance in IIOJK, from religious sites to public spaces, to instill fear and suppress dissent. The house arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is yet another reminder of India’s escalating war on Kashmiri identity and rights. 

The international community must wake up to these repeated violations. Silencing Kashmiri leaders like Mirwaiz is not just a local issue—it is a human rights crisis that demands global attention. The United Nations and other international bodies must intervene to stop these oppressive practices before the region descends further into despair. 

Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir cannot remain an open-air prison forever. The people’s will to resist is unyielding despite India’s draconian measures. The continued detention of leaders like Mirwaiz Umar Farooq only adds fuel to the fire of resistance against tyranny.