Kashmir seminary declared unlawful under anti-terror law, sparks outcry

News|ReligionKashmir seminary declared unlawful under Indian law, sparks outcryKashmiri political and religious leaders denounced the move as part of a broader pattern of New Delhi’s overreach.ListenListen (4 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA Kashmiri man prays inside the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, November 13, 2021 [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026An important Islamic seminary in Indian-administered Kashmir has been declared unlawful under anti-terror laws, prompting backlash from prominent religious and political leaders in the territory.Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg issued the order based on a police dossier that alleged “sustained and covert links” between the seminary and the banned political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), local media reported.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4At least 21 killed as bus crashes into Kashmir gorgelist 2 of 4‘Cocktail of Hindutva and welfarism’: How Modi’s BJP is wooing Assam voterslist 3 of 4Why many Kashmiris are donating gold, breaking piggy banks for Iranlist 4 of 4India to Iran: How two wars shaped rise of Pakistan’s Asim Munirend of listThe seminary, Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, is one of the largest in southern Kashmir and is recognised by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, the main autonomous secondary and higher secondary education board in the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, which were earlier part of undivided Indian-administered Kashmir until 2019.The dossier stated that members of Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom’s management and faculty were linked to JeI. It also cited other allegations related to land use and financial transparency.The move was handed down under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), a much-criticised law that allows authorities to designate someone a “terrorist” without evidence.Seminary chairman Mohammad Shafi Lone has reportedly rejected the allegations.“We are a law-abiding institute and have nothing to do with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami,” the Hindustan Times daily reported, quoting Lone. “This order has created panic among parents and students enrolled here.”Leaders in Muslim-majority Kashmir criticised the move as part of an ongoing campaign of overreach by New Delhi. Advertisement “Declaring Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom ‘unlawful’ under UAPA is the latest act in a calculated dismantling of Kashmir’s civic life,” wrote Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, a member of parliament from the region, on X. “The pattern is unmistakable. Trusts, mosques, libraries and now seminaries serving underprivileged children, every social and nongovernmental institution that holds Kashmiri society together is being strangled.”The school has more than 800 students and has “produced doctors, scholars and professionals from homes that could never afford private education”, he added.Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of undivided Indian-administered Kashmir, called the decision a “flagrant injustice to the poor underprivileged sections of society”.“Banning these altruistic institutions without any solid evidence of antinational activity shows a deep-seated prejudice,” she said.Kashmir’s top Muslim leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, listed recent alleged incidents against residents, including the seizure of property and arrests under the Public Safety Act.“Can the … administration tell people of…

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