Barred from Jama Masjid, Mirwaiz’s online sermon calls for ‘dialogue on Kashmir’

Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was barred from leading prayers at Jama Masjid in Srinagar on Friday (January 2, 2025) and delivered a sermon online, where he said “the Kashmir conflict continues to keep the region in an unsettled state”.

The Mirwaiz, who dropped the title ‘Hurriyat chairman’ from X (formerly Twitter), allegedly after pressure from the authorities, has been barred from leading prayers at Jama Masjid for the past two weeks. In his online sermon on Friday (January 2, 2025), posted on social media platforms, the Mirwaiz reflected on the year 2025.

“Despite making unilateral changes in 2019, the reality is that the Kashmir conflict continues to keep the region in an unsettled state that can erupt anytime. That is why wars are paused, not ended, and dialogue finds no takers,” the Mirwaiz said.

Referring to his engagement with leadership of the subcontinent and successive Indian leaderships, including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and L.K. Advani, the Mirwaiz said, “I am committed to sincere efforts of dialogue. My path remains the same. Dialogue has worked elsewhere and our hope remains alive. When there is sincere willingness to engage in the spirit of “insaniyataur jamhooriyat”, as Vajpayee ji once said, peace gets the best chance.”

In reference to the Pahalgam and Red Fort attacks, the Mirwaiz said, “It was a year marked by tragedy and uncertainty. The horrific Pahalgam attack shook us deeply. Unequivocally condemned by one and all in the valley, it led to a lot of anxiety among the people as they were targeted and homes demolished. This was followed by another India-Pakistan war, and a stark reminder of how fragile peace in the region continues to be”.

The Mirwaiz’s speech focussed on the trust deficit between Kashmiris and New Delhi. “It has widened, not shrunk. Enforced silence is projected as acquiescence. Wounds remain open, problems unaddressed, and an elected government of a UT complains of being powerless. A sense of hopelessness prevails, along with an existential crisis of losing one’s identity through demographic change since the State was downgraded to a Union Territory, constitutional guarantees withdrawn, and rules and laws tweaked,” the Mirwaiz said.

He also highlighted the banning of his party Awami Action Committee (AAC). “The AAC is a socio-political institution that reached out to people in need, advocating peace, dialogue and resolution along with Ittihadul Muslimeen, which were part of the Hurriyat Conference. Much of that space has now been extinguished. Today we are operating in an environment where any expression of views contrary to the state, or any disagreement, is increasingly criminalised, branded as “anti-national” and penalised,” the Mirwaiz said.

The Mirwaiz said his access to the pulpit of Jama Masjid also being curtailed. “Arbitrary house arrests have become a recurring feature in my life. All this is deeply suffocating — not only for me, but for an entire society that increasingly feels voiceless,” he said.

The Mirwaiz said when he was “pressed to make changes to his social media profile”, dropping Hurriyat chairman title, “I was left with little choice but to safeguard the minimal channel of communication available to me or face the risk of complete silencing, as even today I am addressing you through this channel when I am again put under house arrest.”

He said his beliefs and convictions remain unchanged. — not even by a comma. “My commitments to my people are non-negotiable, rooted in principles and beliefs that stem from my convictions both as a Muslim and a responsible leader to people.”

The Mirwaiz said he, irrespective of religion, region or affiliation, highlighted the plight of “our youth and leaders languishing in jails, and the right of Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homeland”.

“I admit I may not always have succeeded in my efforts and manner, but my intentions have always been sincere. The role I see for myself inherited from my predecessors and from being the Mirwaiz — is to be a channel of lasting peace, brotherhood and reconciliation for my people and the region,” the Mirwaiz said.