Days after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti termed the NIA’s summons to separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq an assault on the religious identity of Kashmiris, several religious leaders across the divide have rallied behind the Hurriyat chairman.
Umar Farooq is the 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir. Mirwaiz is a Kashmiri term for traditional preachers of Muslims in the Valley. He took over as the Mirwaiz of Kashmir in 1990 after the killing of his father Maulvi Mohammad Farooq. The institution is believed to have played a key role in the uprising against the Dogra dynasty in 1931. Umar also heads the Awami Action Committee, one of the two factions of Hurriyat Conference. He is one of the influential political and religious leaders in the Valley.
According to a report in The Indian Express, this is the first time when religious leaders in the state across the Shia-Sunni, Salafi-Sufi divide have come together against the government’s crackdown. Recently, heads of over 20 religious organistions met in Srinagar and passed a resolution against the NIA’s action against Mirwaiz in a terror funding case.
“It (NIA notice to Mirwaiz) is a direct interference in religious affairs of Muslims… Mirwaiz is not just a political leader but also a religious head of people of Kashmir,” it reads.
“Any attempt to harass him, as the NIA notice is one, will be strongly opposed as it will deeply hurt the sentiments and feelings of people across the state,” it added.
The NIA is investigation a case related to terror funding in Kashmir. The agency has carried out a series of raids on separatists including Mirwaiz on connection with the case. The agency has summoned him for questioning in Delhi. However, Mirwaiz cited a threat to his personal security and declined to appear before the agency in Delhi and offered to be quizzed in Srinagar.
The government had last month withdrew security of Mirwaiz and a host of separatists leaders as a part of crackdown against separatists following February 14 Pulwama terror attack. The resolution passed by religious leaders also condemned the ban on Jamat-e-Islami and the crackdown against its leadership.
Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, Grand Mufti of Kashmir, said the leaders also condemned the crackdown on the resistance leadership, killings and harassment of people. “The meeting strongly condemns the imposition of ban on Jamat-e-Islami, and arrest of its leaders and cadres and calls it a blatant interference in religious affairs,” he said.
Besides, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said, leaders also discussed the prevailing situation in Kashmir and the “assault by New Delhi on socio-religious organisations”.
Also on Tuesday, the business community in Kashmir took strong exception of NIA’s decision to summon Mirwaiz. Abdul Hamid Mir, vice-chairman of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the business community believes that the NIA notice served to Mirwaiz is merely to harass him.