Mirwaiz expresses concern over closure of school-cum-seminary under UAPA in Kashmir

Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in his sermon on Friday, May 8, 2026, expressed concern over the closure of a seminary and school in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, saying it has ruined the future of hundreds of students.

“The banning of Jamia Siraj Ul Uloom school under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) is a serious matter. It has raised apprehension among people that our religious identity is being targeted,” Mirwaiz said.

He said that this action of the authorities “ruined the future of hundreds of students studying here.”

“The protests by students and parents on Thursday demonstrated the urgency and deep distress this has created for them,” Mirwaiz said.

He said deep resentment against these policies could be reinforced “if the state does not reconsider this approach and allow this institution to reopen.”

Mirwaiz called on the government to reconsider this approach and “earn people’s trust and goodwill instead of alienating them”.

Touching on the drug menace, Mirwaiz said that the government’s effort against drug dealers and narcotics networks in Jammu and Kashmir is a welcome initiative and every sincere effort aimed at protecting the young generation from the menace of addiction.

“One cannot ignore the fact that a generation growing up amidst political conflict, uncertainty, stress and limited economic avenues is highly prone to substance abuse. This crisis cannot be viewed solely through the prism of law and order, with arrests and seizures of property making headlines.”

He said many young people struggle with anxiety, hopelessness and psychological distress as a result of political uncertainty and anxiety about the future. “Therefore, while it is necessary to crack down on drug traffickers and dismantle their networks, police alone cannot solve this health emergency or heal a wounded society,” he added.