Srinagar, Dec 26 (NVI) In a major development, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has removed the title of ‘Chairman’ of separatist and banned Hurriyat Conference from his X handle.
He invited trolling and criticism from radicals for this action after which he sought to justify, saying he was compelled to do so to retain his X handle.
“For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my X (formerly Twitter) handle as Hurriyat chairman, as all constituents of Hurriyat Conference, including the Awami Action Committee that I head have been banned under the UAPA, making Hurriyat a banned organisation, failing which they will take down my handle,” he posted on his X handle.
“At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and share my views on our issues with them, and the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson’s choice I was left to make,” he added.
Umar Farooq, who is the Mirwaiz (Islamic religious head) of Kashmir, has been associated with the separatist Hurriyat Conference since its inception in 1993 at the behest of Pakistan.
He has been its Chairman for several years during this period.
Waheed Para, an MLA of J&K PDP, appreciated the act of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and equated it to what Prophet Mohammad had done once for the sake of peace.
“In the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet ﷺ agreed to erase the words “Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullah”—the very foundation of the Kalima—solely in the interest of peace. History remembers this not as compromise, but as wisdom, foresight, and moral courage,” Parra posted on his X handle.
“If Mirwaiz Kashmir has removed the APHC tag as an act of peace, it must never be weaponized against him. Choosing peace over rigidity is not weakness; it is leadership,” he added.
“Mirwaiz has acted within the framework of law and circumstances. Those attacking and trolling him for this decision are deliberately trying to undermine him, making his path harder despite the extraordinary challenges he has endured and the supreme sacrifice of his father. Such attacks do not serve justice or peace, they only deepen division,” Parra said. (NVI)
