Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in his Friday (May 8, 2026) sermon, expressed concern over the closure of a seminary-cum-school in south Kashmir’s Shopian and said it has ruined the future of hundreds of students.

“The banning of the Jamia Siraj Ul Uloom school under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) is a serious matter. It has stoked apprehension among people that our religious identity is being targeted,” said the Mirwaiz.

He said the move by the authorities has “ruined the future of hundreds of students studying there”.

“Protests by students and parents on Thursday showed the urgency and deep distress it is causing to them,” said the Mirwaiz.

He said the undercurrent of resentment against these policies can consolidate, “if the state does not revisit this approach and allow the reopening of this institution”.

The Mirwaiz urged the government to reconsider this approach and “earn people’s trust and goodwill rather than alienate them”.

Referring to the drug menace, the Mirwaiz said the government’s drive against drug peddlers and narcotics networks in Jammu and Kashmir is a welcome initiative and every sincere effort aimed at protecting the younger generation from the menace of addiction.

“One cannot ignore the fact that a generation raised among political conflict, uncertainty, stress and limited economic avenues is highly prone to substance abuse. This crisis cannot be seen only through the law and order prism and headline grabbing of arrests and property confiscation,” he added.

He said many youths were struggling with anxiety, hopelessness, and psychological distress as a fallout of political uncertainty and anxiety about their future. “Therefore, while strict action against drug traffickers and dismantling of their networks is necessary, policing alone cannot solve this health emergency, nor heal a wounded society,” he added.

Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in his Friday (April 3, 2026) sermon, said multiple security agencies under the pretext of cases were going after Kashmiris, especially local employees, “to create an atmosphere of fear”.

Speaking from the pulpit of the historic Jama Masjid, Mr. Farooq said Kashmir was recording daily filing of cases, chargesheets, and arrests of Kashmiris by the multiple agencies operating like the State Investigation Agency (SIA), Counter Intelligence Kashmir, Cyber Cell, Anti-Corruption Bureau and National Investigation Agency.

“This creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation and reinforces the narrative that portrays an entire people as dangerous and suspect to be kept under check,” said Mr. Farooq

He said the termination of government employees combined with filing of cases against local employees come across as “deliberate act to establish fear”. “This coercive policy cannot build viable peace or lead to progress if that is what the authorities seek,” he added.

He also condemned the killing of a civilian, Raashid Ahmed Mughal, a resident of Ganderbal, in an encounter. “The victim’s family says that he was a part-time computer operator with no links to militancy. That his body was also not given to the family for burial is inhuman and condemnable. His family seeks justice through an impartial probe,” said Mr. Farooq.

He hoped that justice is done “as past experiences do not inspire confidence”. “Let us hope that the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s probe order will deliver justice and those responsible are held to account and punished,” said Mr. Farooq.

Authorities on Friday (March 20, 2026) disallowed Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to pray at historic Jamia Masjid, in the wake of the heightened tensions due to the Iran-U.S. war. Meanwhile, several regional leaders of the political parties attended congregations prayers in Srinagar.

The Mirwaiz, in a post on social media platforms, said he was not allowed to head for the Jamia Masjid, where he delivers his weekly sermons and leads the prayers.  

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

“For the third consecutive Friday in Ramzan, I have been put under arbitrary house arrest; never conveyed in writing. Instead, enforced by placing police vehicles and large contingents in front of my gate and the entire area, choking gully points and lanes with concertina wires, disallowing traffic movement, all to prevent me from delivering the Friday sermon,” said the Mirwaiz.

He said such measures reflected “panic of the rulers”. “The centrality of Jamia Masjid for the Muslims of the region has unfortunately always been a thorn in their side, as are Muslim institutions and identity which they want to undermine,” the Mirwaiz said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of worshippers attended congregational prayers in the Jamia Masjid and the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah also attended a gathering in Srinagar to offer prayers.

Speaking after the nimaz, Mr. Abdullah said, “The current war (in the Middle East) will have severe consequences not only for the Indian economy but for the world economy. I prayed to the Almighty that the problems faced by the Muslim words end soon.”  

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, who also offered prayers in Srinagar, in a post on X, highlighted the issue of Muslims in New Delhi.

“Right wing fanatics and lumpen elements in Uttam Nagar, New Delhi are openly baying for the blood of Muslims & how rivers of blood will flow tomorrow on Eid. Understandably this has caused considerable panic and anxiety amongst many Muslims families who have fled to escape the impending violence,” said Ms. Mufti.

She urged the Prime Minister and Home Minister “to intervene before the situation worsens leading to loss of innocent lives”.