Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that dialogue and peaceful engagement remain the only viable path for resolving conflicts, while remembering the legacy of his father, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, during a congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar.
Addressing worshippers ahead of the Friday prayers, Mirwaiz said that they were once again prevented from visiting the ‘martyrs’ graveyard at Eidgah to pay tribute to Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and those killed in the Hawal incident of May 21, 1990. Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was assassinated on May 21, 1990.
Recalling the 36th death anniversary of his father, Mirwaiz said the wounds of the past “remain fresh” and described the last three decades in Kashmir as marked by “tragedies, violence and loss, and yet no closure.”
“My father understood that the Kashmir conflict while of dominion and territory for India and Pakistan, was played out at the cost of the people of Kashmir who were treated like dumb driven cattle. His political struggle was for their voice to be heard, their democratic aspirations to be respected and their dignity established,” Mirwaiz said.
Highlighting his father’s opposition to violence, Mirwaiz said, “Shaheed Mirwaiz strongly abhorred violence. He advocated dialogue and practiced it throughout his life – in his constant outreach to all, even to his political adversaries. He saw dialogue among countries, communities, sects, and people as the best means to peaceful and respectful coexistence, leading to their wholesome growth, prosperity and development.”
Mirwaiz said the principles of “resolution, peace, brotherhood, dignity and coexistence” had guided him over the past three decades. He also prayed for strength to continue pursuing what he described as his father’s vision for the people.
