As the coronavirus infections are rapidly growing in the Indian-administered Kashmir, a religious body headed by separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq announced Monday the suspension of congregational Eid al-Fitr prayers.
In a joint statement, Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema — a conglomerate of religious organizations — said that in light of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the region, precautionary measures need to be adhered to.
Suspension of religious gatherings
Religious gatherings on the occasion of Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Power, Jummat-ul-Vida, last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr will remain suspended, it said.
No Eid prayers to be held in Kashmir due to COVID-19https://t.co/cGQobA9yFD pic.twitter.com/ji5DX07UHb
— Yeni Şafak English (@yenisafakEN) May 19, 2020
Muslims all around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which they avoid eating from dawn until sunset.
Suspension of religious gatherings
Meanwhile 106 new cases were reported in the region on Monday. Among the positive cases were five doctors and 55 cops. The region also reported three new deaths, taking the tally to 16.
The positive cases have surged to 1,289 while 609 have also recovered.
However, such figures are tempered by the low number of daily tests held in the disputed territory. The administration has recently revealed plans to enhance testing capacity to more than 4000 tests a day
Read more: ‘Suspect All, Test All’: Jammu And Kashmir Speeds Up Covid-19 Testing To Contain Virus
Jammu and Kashmir: A long disputed region
Kashmir is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars — in 1948, 1965 and 1971 — two of them over Kashmir.
Read more: Tarawih and Eid prayers possible at home during corona: Saudi Grand Mufti
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or unification with neighbouring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan tweeted the latest in a long series of tweets exhorting the world to wake up to the extent of the egregious Indian action in Jammu and Kashmir (a region Pakistan claims) since 5th of August 2019.
Modi's RSS-inspired doctrine on IOJK very clear: First, deprive Kashmiris of their right of self determination by illegal annexation of an Occupied territory. Second, treat them as less than human by a three-pronged approach: one, trying to crush them with brute force incl using
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 17, 2020
As of May 2020, the situation between the nuclear armed neighbours remains at a stalemate.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk