Srinagar: Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar on Saturday said the “deliberate” presence of government forces in large numbers around the grand mosque creates an atmosphere of fear among the worshipers and the use of live ammunition against the devotees after Friday congregation triggered chaos all around.
A spokesperson of Anjuman in a statement said that on the eve of fasting of month of Ramadan and especially on Fridays, thousands of people from across the valley including far off districts reach the historic Jamia Masjid to listen to the Friday sermon and to seek blessings of Almighty Allah, and offer Friday prayers.
He strongly denounced the use of lethal pellets against the worshipers including women, children and elderly, and said the “deliberate” presence of government forces in large numbers around the masjid is damaging the centrality and sanctity of the mosque which is the spiritual centre of lakhs of Kashmiris.
The deployment of government forces in huge numbers before the prayers also gives ample opportunity to certain vested interests to foment trouble around the mosque and to damage the sanctity and sacredness of the grand masjid.
Anjuman has time and again called on the administration to ensure no deployment of government forces around Jamia Masjid on Fridays but the frequent pleas seems to be falling on the deaf ears as forces remain deployed in large numbers as seen on first Friday of the holy month.
He said the way prayers are held peacefully in Kashmir’s major shrines, masjids and imambaras with zero deployment of government forces, same model should be applied for Jamia as well so that people offer prayers in a free and peaceful atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson said that all the religious sermons of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for the first ten days of fasting month (Ashra-e-Rahmat) have been out on hold due to the ill health of the Valley’s head priest.
