Srinagar | June 14, 2025
Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday strongly condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, denouncing the Jewish state as a “rogue state and a massive threat to global peace.”
Addressing a large Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz expressed anguish over the mounting civilian casualties in Iran, including women and children, and the assassination of senior Iranian military officials.
“Israel is already perpetuating genocide against Palestinians and now threatens to drag the entire Middle East into chaos. It has become a rogue state and a huge threat to world peace,” he stated.
Calling on the United Nations and international community to act, Mirwaiz urged global powers to exert pressure on Israel to end its aggression in Gaza and prevent further attacks on sovereign nations.
He reaffirmed the solidarity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with both Palestinians and Iranians, stating, “We stand with those suffering under Israeli aggression.”
Eid Restrictions, House Arrest Criticized
Mirwaiz also criticized the Jammu and Kashmir administration for continuing restrictions on religious gatherings, including disallowing Eid prayers at Eidgah and Jamia Masjid, and placing him under house arrest on Eid day.
“For the past seven years, authorities have denied Kashmiri Muslims their basic right to offer Eid prayers in congregational spaces,” he said. “If the Lieutenant Governor greets Muslims with Eid wishes, why are we not allowed to observe Eid prayers freely?”
He questioned the reasons behind the restrictions, urging the government to clarify whether it was acting out of fear or as a form of “collective punishment” against Kashmiris.
Post-370 Normalcy a ‘Myth’
The separatist leader dismissed the narrative of normalcy post-abrogation of Article 370 as “fiction,” stating that oppressive measures remain firmly in place and that political and civil space in Kashmir is rapidly shrinking.
“Despite the promises of development and democracy, the ground reality is that there is no administrative or political space for Kashmiris. The elected government too has failed to uphold the rights of the people,” Mirwaiz said.
He criticized the local government for inaction and dependence on New Delhi, asserting that elected representatives cannot indefinitely justify their silence by citing limitations in their authority.
