A woman prays in the main mosque in Srinagar after it opened for the first time in nearly five months (Tauseef MUSTAFA)
<p>Srinagar (India) (AFP) – Kashmir’s main mosque re-opened for prayers Wednesday for the first time since the restive valley’s semi-autonomous status was axed by New Delhi in August and a curfew imposed.</p><p>The area where the Jamia Masjid in Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar is located is a hotbed of anti-Indian sentiment, with Friday prayers that attract thousands of worshippers —  often followed by street protests.</p><p>Locals believe the recent closure was the longest the 13th-century mosque had endured since Kashmir was split between India and Pakistan in 1947 after independence from Britain.</p><p>"I was sitting at home when I heard the azan (call for prayer) coming from the Jamia Masjid. I couldn’t believe my ears and came running to offer prayers here for the first time in four-and-a-half months," Mohamad Iqbal, 55, told AFP.</p><p>"It feels like I’m breathing again. No doubt my happiness knows no bounds today, but the saddest thing is that the Kashmir dispute is yet to be resolved."</p><p>Some 70 worshippers were led by Mufti Ghulam Rasool in afternoon prayers inside the sprawling mosque, which can accommodate 30,000 faithful.</p><p>Before the crackdown, chief cleric and influential separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delivered sermons and political messages at the mosque every Friday.</p><p>He is among thousands of people, including separatist leaders opposed to Indian rule, taken into custody by authorities after New Delhi’s autonomy move.</p><p>Worshippers at the mosque told AFP they fear it would not be kept open for Friday prayers.</p><p>Other mosques and shrines in Muslim-majority Indian Kashmir have faced similar restrictions at different times on large gatherings during the lockdown.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.