The Kashmir Dialogues
Srinagar — Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed concern on Friday over the recent court-ordered surveys of religious sites and called for the protection of Muslim heritage and their rights.
Addressing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid here, Farooq, the Mirwaiz (chief cleric) of Kashmir, condemned the killing of four youths in clashes during protests against the survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambha.
“The killing of these youths in discriminatory police action is very distressing and condemnable,” he said.
The Mirwaiz claimed that a court in Rajasthan’s Ajmer “ordered the survey of the state’s iconic Ajmer Sharif Dargah”.
A local court in Ajmer has issued notices to the Dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India on the plea seeking to declare the shrine a temple.
“Before that, the Gyanvapi Mosque was surveyed on court orders. There seems to be a deliberate pattern, first doubts are raised, then a court orders surveys and then the majority claims have to be satisfied,” the Mirwaiz said.
He said, “The Babri Masjid issue… is fresh in the minds of Muslims.” This is an “extremely disturbing and serious issue for the Muslims of not only India and Kashmir but also the subcontinent and the world over,” the Hurriyat Conference chairman said.
“The 800-year-old shrine of the great Sufi and wali, Hazrat Moinuddin, is revered by Muslims the world over and thousands visit it daily. It is linked to the history of the spread of Islam in the Indian subcontinent and holds a special significance for the people of Kashmir who make pilgrimage to the dargah,” he said.
About the surveys of mosques, the Mirwaiz said such actions “backed by the judiciary and government deeply undermine the religious sentiments” of crores of Muslims here.
“If India is a secular state as per its preamble, run by a constitution which includes the Places of Worship Act, then why are such issues allowed to be raked up and entertained continuously?” he posed.
This is a “dangerous trend that is being encouraged and can have very serious consequences”, the Hurriyat Conference chairman added.
About the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, he said it is a worrying matter for the Muslims and as such the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema — an amalgam of religious organisations — has sent a letter to Jagdambika Pal, the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the issue, seeking a meeting with him on the matter. — (PTI)
M S Nazki
