Srinagar: Kashmiri religious scholars from all Islamic schools of thought and imams, khateebs of Masajids across the valley have expressed serious anguish, concern and deep regret over the continuous “harassment” of Valley’s deeply respected Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir and Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) patron Mirwaiz Umar Farooq by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) through repeated notices being sent to him, a statement issued by MMU.
The Majlis said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who represents the three-hundred-year-old institute of the Mirwaizeen – a highly respected and revered institute by the people with which they have a deep religious emotional attachment – was being subjected to such harassment which pains us all, the statement said.
“Efforts to intimidate the Mirwaiz and associate him with some matter that he remotely has no concern with only adds fuel to the already deteriorating situation in the valley,” the statement said adding that Mirwaiz is the social, religious and spiritual leader of Kashmiri people, and associating him with such activities to defame his personal character is highly deplorable.
The people of Kashmir are indebted to the Mirwaiz family as Mirwaizeen have tirelessly worked for the education, social and religious upliftment of the people of Valley since past many decades, it said.
“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been taking forward the great and sacred mission of his ancestors and issuing notices to him, again and again, is unacceptable. Despite Mirwaiz repeatedly saying that he was willing to cooperate in Srinagar yet he is, again and again, being called to New Delhi to pressurize him,” the scholars said and asked authorities to “immediately stop the harassment and intimidation of the Mirwaiz as people and Ulema are deeply disturbed by it”.
The statement also termed the frequent sealing of historic Jamia Masjid on Fridays as unacceptable interference in religious affairs of Muslims of the valley and a move that calls for strongest condemnation.
Jamia Masjid is the epicenter of the religious and cultural moorings of the people of the valley which is being frequently closed down for worshipers preventing them from exercising their religious rights, the statement said.
According to the statement, the scholars who issued the statement include Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, president Jamiat-e-Ahli-Hadith Professor Ghulam Muhammad Bhat Al-Madani, Anjuman-e-Share-Shian president Aga Syed Al Mousivi Al-Safavi, Karwan-e-Islami International patron Moulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, Itihadul-Muslimeen patron Moulana Abbas Ansari, head of Darul Uloom Rahimiya Bandipora Moulana Rehmatullah Mir, president of Anjuman-e-Tableegul Islam Moulana Syed Fareedudin Bukhari, patron of Anjuman-e-Himayatul Islam Showkat Hussain Keng and president Moulana Khursheed Ahmed Qanoongo, Jamiat-e-Hamdaniya patron Moulana Reyaz Ahmed Hamadani, Mufti Abdul Rashid of Darul Uloom Bilaliya, Moulana Ahmed Sayed of Darul Uloom Qasmia, Molana Bashir Qasmi of Darul Uloom Sopore, Patron Jamiat-e-Ulema Moulana Muhammad Tehseen Qasmi, representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami, Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid Khateeb Moulana Syed Ahmed Naqashbandi, Muslim Personal Law Board, patron Darul Iftaa wa Qaza Shariat-e-Islami Bijbehara Mufti Ziyaul Haq Nazimi, Khateeb and Imam of Dastgeer Sahab (RA) Moulana Nazir Ahmed Qadiri, Anjuman-e-Ulema-e-Ahnaf president Moulana Asgar Hussain , General Secretary of Mohsin-e-Alam International Bashir Ahmed Kanth, Sheik ul Hadees Mufti Muzzafar Hussain Sopore, Ghulam Rasool Samoon of Anjuman-e-Nusratul Islam and others.