Mirwaiz Umer Farooq condemns Medina mosque attack

Srinagar: Moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Wednesday denounced the terror attack at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina in Saudi Arabia and said “such elements” have nothing to do with Islam and its teachings. Addressing an Eid gathering at Eidgah over telephone, the Mirwaiz, who is the religious head of Muslims of Kashmir Valley, asked the Muslim leadership across the world to stand united against the menace of terrorism and extremism. [caption id=“attachment_2877958” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kashmiri separatist Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq. File photo AFP[/caption] “Such elements who carry out these attacks in the name of Islam have in fact nothing to do with the religion and its teachings,” the Mirwaiz, who is under house arrest, said. Four security officers were killed in Monday’s attacks that targeted US diplomats, Shia Muslim worshippers and a security headquarters at the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Medina. Though no group claimed responsibility for the attack, Islamic State terrorists have carried out similar bombings in the past targeting minority Shias and Saudi security forces. In his address to the congregation at Eidgah, the Mirwaiz said there is no option for the state but to address the Kashmir issue. The Mirwaiz pitched for a meaningful and result-oriented engagement between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue with the participation of the people of the state. As the Mirwaiz remained under house arrest, a statement was issued by the Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of separatist parties, condemning the action of the state government which it termed as “blatant and shameless denial of his human and religious rights and duties”.