India
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Reports Continued House Detention and Disallowed Friday Sermon
On Friday, November 6, 2026, Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq announced on X that authorities had barred him from leading the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid in Srinagar. He said his house detention had continued for a week, with police and barricades outside his home in the Nigeen area of Srinagar. The Mirwaiz described the authorities’ actions as “arbitrary and authoritarian measures” aimed at curtailing freedom of movement and speech and undermining the official narrative of ‘normalcy’ in Kashmir. He added that the restrictions followed his sermon on the previous Friday, in which he cited the International Crisis Group report on Jammu and Kashmir and raised concerns about political prisoners, civil liberties, and the need for meaningful political engagement and reconciliation. A spokesperson for the Mirwaiz confirmed that since that sermon he has been confined to his residence, preventing him from fulfilling religious duties such as addressing scheduled gatherings and leading the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid. The statement was published on November 7, 2026 at 04:14 a.m. IST.