A prominent Islamic seminary in Indian-administered Kashmir has been declared unlawful under anti-terror legislation, sparking backlash from religious and political leaders in the region. The order was issued by Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg based on a police dossier alleging "sustained and covert links" between the seminary and the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) party.
Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, one of the largest seminaries in southern Kashmir, is recognized by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, the main autonomous education board for the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, which were part of undivided Indian-administered Kashmir until 2019. The dossier claimed that members of the seminary's management and faculty were linked to JeI, along with allegations regarding land use and financial transparency.
The action was taken under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), a controversial law that allows authorities to designate individuals as "terrorists" without evidence. Seminary chairman Mohammad Shafi Lone rejected the allegations, stating, "We are a law-abiding institute and have nothing to do with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. This order has created panic among parents and students enrolled here."
Leaders in Muslim-majority Kashmir criticized the move as part of an ongoing campaign of overreach by New Delhi. Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi wrote on X, "Declaring Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom 'unlawful' under UAPA is the latest act in a calculated dismantling of Kashmir's civic life." He noted that the school has over 800 students and has "produced doctors, scholars and professionals from homes that could never afford private education."
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti called the decision a "flagrant injustice to the poor underprivileged sections of society," adding that banning altruistic institutions without evidence shows "deep-seated prejudice." Kashmir's top Muslim leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, listed recent incidents including property seizures and arrests under the Public Safety Act, asking how long the administration will continue this policy of harassment.
Indian-administered Kashmir is a "union territory" governed directly by the federal government in New Delhi. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government revoked Article 370, which granted Kashmir partial autonomy, and divided the region into two federally controlled territories. Since then, Kashmiri leaders have pushed back against what they describe as curtailment of religious and other freedoms. Police began profiling mosques earlier this year, and the region's main mosque, Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, faced closures and restrictions on prayer gatherings.
Source: www.aljazeera.com