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Kashmiri religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Placed Under House Arrest

On December 6th, Kashmiri pro-freedom leader and chief Muslim preacher, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was placed under house arrest, preventing him from delivering his sermon at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar to a Friday congregation.

Taking to X, Mirwaiz stated, “As I was about to leave for Jama Masjid for the Friday sermon and prayers, I have been verbally informed that I am under house arrest today and won’t be allowed to go to Jama Masjid! Is it related to the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition today, and the wave of Masjid and Shrine surveys that we raised our voice against? Anyone’s guess.”

The incident coincides with the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992. The demolition, carried out by Hindutva groups including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), continues to symbolize the growing marginalization of Muslims in India.

Mirwaiz’s detention is a blatant violation of religious freedom and an attempt to suppress voices advocating for Kashmir’s political and religious rights. His house arrest reflects the broader pattern of repression in Jammu and Kashmir, where political and religious leaders are routinely silenced, and fundamental freedoms continue to be curtailed under the guise of maintaining “law and order.” Mirwaiz has been repeatedly put under house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, as documented by our previous bi-annual human rights report.

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