MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Indian authorities have once again imposed a ban on Eid prayers at Srinagars Jamia Masjid for the seventh consecutive year, which has been described as a clear sign of state terrorism by India.
The continuous restrictions on Eid gatherings at Srinagar’s central Eid-gah have been condemned as acts of cruelty, religious oppression, and open terrorism by the Indian government.
Speaking to the media, the Chairman of Pasban-e-Hurriyat, Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under Narendra Modi’s leadership, is afraid of the Kashmiri people’s spirit of freedom.
He said that Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region where India is using military power, conspiracies, and colonial tactics to erase its Islamic identity.
He strongly criticised the continued ban on Eid prayers at the historic Srinagar mosque, calling it an attack on the religious rights of millions of Kashmiri Muslims.
He said it is a form of extreme oppression that Muslims in a Muslim-majority region are being denied the basic right to offer prayers.
Ghazali noted that while millions of people across the world were able to perform Eid prayers peacefully, India, which he described as one of the worst colonial regimes, continues to prevent Kashmiris from holding religious gatherings.
He said the Jamia Masjid and Eidgah in Srinagar have historically held an important place for worshippers, but since India revoked the region’s special status in 2019, the occupying authorities have regularly blocked access to these places, violating the religious freedom of thousands.
According to Ghazali, denying access to Srinagars Jamia Masjid during Eid is seen by the people of Jammu and Kashmir as a clear violation of their religious identity and traditions.
He added that such oppressive actions will not break the spirit of the Kashmiri people, who will continue their struggle for freedom, justice, and the right to self-determination.
