SRINAGAR: Chairman Hurriyat (M) and head priest at historic Srinagar Jamia Masjid Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Sunday expressed shock over the ‘desecration’ of the grand mosque by masked youth, saying such hooliganism will not be tolerated.
Taking to Twitter, Mirwaiz, who delivers Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, said he is deeply saddened and shocked by the attempt to violate the sanctity of the pulpit.
“Deeply shocked and saddened by the attempt to violate the sanctity of the pulpit at #JamaMasjid by a group miscreants late on Friday! Such hooliganism that harms the mosque or misuses the name of Islam to spread anarchy and fear among people will not be tolerated at all!” Mirwaiz wrote on his twitter handle.
He said the grand mosque is the fountain head of religious as well as political aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Jama Masjid is the fountain head of both the religious identity and the political aspirations of the people of J&K , engaged in the struggle for Right to Self-determination, inspired by Islamic values of seeking justice and resistance to oppression,” he said.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by Awami Action Committee said it held a crucial meeting chaired by its patron Mirwaiz at Mirwaiz Manzil Nigeen to discuss the recent attempt at violation of the pulpit of Jamia Masjid Srinagar by a bunch of goons.
“The participants of the meeting reiterated that nobody will be allowed to play with the peoples movement for right to self-determination that has the blood and sweat of lakhs of people at its back and that no such act, (the one witnessed on Friday) will be tolerated again,” the AAC statement said.
In the meeting, it said, it was decided that in connection with this incident of sacrilege, on Monday, (December 31) Mirwaiz will offer Zuhr prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid and will take stock of the situation on ground.
“Mirwaiz will also chair another meeting on Wednesday at 2 pm after which Asr prayers will be offered at the Jamia Masjid that will be followed by cleansing the mosque in which volunteers, locals, and the members of Anjuman-e-Auqaf will take part.,” it said.
The AAC said it was also decided that Friday (January 4) will be observed as (youm-e-Taqadus) where resistance leadership and religious scholars will address people in the mosque besides condemning this act of sacrilege committed by some anti-Islam elements.