Friday prayers at Jama Masjid, the central mosque in Jammu and Kashmir, have been barred by authorities for more than 150 weeks in the past six years. While the grand mosque was closed down due to Covid-19-related reasons recently, it has also been shut a number of times by the authorities to thwart protests. Built in the early 15th century, the Jama Masjid has since remained a centre of region’s social, religious and political developments. In 2021, the mosque remained shut for almost the entire year with many indicating that this was to prevent big religious gatherings from taking place. Kashmir’s head cleric, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who preaches from the mosque’s pulpit during the Friday prayers, also remains under house detention since 2019.
Friday prayers at Jama Masjid, the central mosque in Jammu and Kashmir, have been barred by authorities for more than 150 weeks in the past six years