Haryana violence: No Friday prayers in Gurugram mosques, says Muslim council

The Muslim council in Gurugram has urged the faithful to avoid offering namaz in mosques and open areas on Friday due to the recent violence.

The Muslim council in Gurugram on Thursday appealed to the faithful to not offer namaz in mosques and open areas on Friday, in a bid to avoid any untoward incident in the wake of the Nuh violence. However, the district administration and police have made tight security arrangements and deployed heavy force at all the mosques across the city to maintain law and order.

Muslim Ekta Manch President Haji Sajjad Khan said Friday prayers will not be offered in the open in Gurugram. (Photo by Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times/ Representational)

Altaf Ahmad, spokesperson, Gurgaon Muslim Council, said the imams of Gurugram have made an appeal to the Muslim community in the city to not reach mosques for juma namaz on Friday, as police apprehend trouble by miscreants.

“For the Muslim community, juma namaz is a mandatory obligation which needs to happen in congregation; however given the recent communal violence, they will most likely stay away from offering prayers in mosques, at least this week,” he said.

Muslim Ekta Manch President Haji Sajjad Khan said Friday prayers will not be offered in the open in Gurugram. “Previously also, there has been opposition to open namaz in Gurugram and taking the Nuh violence into consideration, this decision has been taken for the safety of our people,” he said.

Mufti Saleem Qasmi, president of Jamiat Ulama in Gurugram, appealed to people through a video message to refrain from praying in public places or gathering in mosques.

Qasmi said it is the responsibility of the people to maintain brotherhood. “I appeal to the people not to offer namaz in the open and to remain in their homes. Only those people who live in a masjid can offer namaz inside,” he said.

Members of the Muslim community on Thursday met DC Nishant Kumar Yadav to discuss security measures and to ensure that no fresh violence erupts on Friday.

Yadav said they have deployed police teams at all mosques and all safety measures are in place. “The situation is under control and even if people want to offer namaz at mosques, arrangements have been made for them to peacefully do so,” he said, adding that officials have been deployed at all sensitive areas.

Hindu-right outfits had on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to a deputy commissioner of Police demanding, among many other things, a ban on namaz in public places.

In Nuh, deputy commissioner Prashant Panwar and superintendent of police Varun Singla held a meeting with the ulemas of Nuh on Thursday and appealed to them to pray at their homes. Ulemas assured police that there will be no public namaz, said officials.