Indian court declares Kashmir seminary unlawful under national law

Kashmir Islamic Seminary Declared Unlawful Under Anti-Terror Laws

A police dossier has alleged “sustained and covert links” between Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, an Islamic seminary in Indian-administered Kashmir, and the banned political party Jamaat-e-Islami. The order was issued under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), a law that allows authorities to designate someone as a “terrorist” without evidence.

The seminary’s chairman, Mohammad Shafi Lone, has rejected the allegations, stating that the institution is law-abiding and has no connection with Jamaat-e-Islami. The move has sparked criticism from prominent religious and political leaders in Kashmir, who describe it as part of a broader pattern of overreach by New Delhi.

Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg issued the order based on the police dossier, which also cited allegations related to land use and financial transparency. The seminary is one of the largest in southern Kashmir and has more than 800 students.

Leaders in Muslim-majority Kashmir have criticized the move as part of a calculated dismantling of civic life. Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, a member of parliament from the region, wrote on X that “every social and nongovernmental institution that holds Kashmiri society together is being strangled”. Former chief minister Mehboba Mufti called the decision a “flagrant injustice to the poor underprivileged sections of society”.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s top Muslim leader, has listed recent alleged incidents against residents, including property seizures and arrests under the Public Safety Act. The Indian-administered Kashmir is a union territory, administered by the federal government in New Delhi.

The move comes as part of a broader trend of restrictions on religious and social institutions in Kashmir, which was divided into two federally-controlled territories in 2019. Since then, Kashmiri leaders have pushed back against what they describe as curtailing of freedoms.

Source: Al Jazeera