Srinagar, Aug 24 (KNS): On the 31st anniversary of Operation Jamia Masjid, the Anjuman Aufaq Jamia Masjid on Monday said that the motive behind the infamous operation which took place on 25th August 1989 was to weaken the centrality of the grand masjid, hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and to cow down the then Mirwaiz Moulana Muhammad Farooq (RA) to desist from championing the rights of the people of Kashmir.The raid and desecration of the mosque was highly condemnable .

in a statement issued to KNS reads, shaheed e Millat was a courageous leader whose rock-solid resolve could not be shaken by such conspiracies, and till date the pulpit of Jamia Masjid Srinagar continues to raise the voice of Haq and represent the aspirations of the people of Kashmir, Anjuman said in a statement.

Anjuman said that it’s is highly unfortunate that since the infamous operation, the successive governments have been trying to weaken the centrality of this spiritual and religious centre of Muslims by time and again forcibly closing it for weeks and months together.

“Soon after the Operation Jamia Masjid, the desecration of religious and sacred places including Aasaar-e-Shareef Hazratbal, Astaan-e-Aalia Chraar Shareef, Khanqah-e-Faiz Panah Tral, Astaan-e-Aalia Khanqah, etc took place in succession and the motive was to break the unity of Muslims and hurt their religious sentiments .

The Anjuman said that despite repression and other challenges, the Mirwaizeen have been discharging their duties whether it is invoking Qaal Allah Wa Qaal A Rasoolullah (SAW) or raising voice for the religious, social and political rights of the people of Kashmir; and that the pulpit of the Jamia Masjid Srinagar will always represent the sentiments and aspirations of the people.

In the statement, the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid reiterated that its chief Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq, who is under arbitrary house arrest for the last 13 months, be released forthwith so that be allowed to resume his duties at the Jamia Masjid as the Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir. (KNS)