Geelani offers prayers at Mirwaiz's platform in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 3 (UNI) Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani offered prayers at the historic Jama Masjid here yesterday many years after he broke away from the Hurriyat Conference.

Mr Geelani, who now heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, had gone to see one of the wounded photojournalists, Sajjad Hussain of the AFP, at Nowhata in the heart of the old city.

The photojournalists were wounded by the CRPF personnel during protests near Jama Masjid on Friday.

As the firebrand leader was leaving the area, a 'muezzin' gave a call for 'Asar' (afternoon) prayers from one of the minarets of the grand mosque.

Mr Geelani decided to offer prayers at the Jama Masjid, managed by the Anjuman Nusrat-ul-Islam (The Society for the Victory of Islam) which is headed by his rival and the Chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

This came as a surprise to many visitors. A large number of people shook hands with him and welcomed him to the grand mosque, a major platform for the Mirwaiz where he delivers sermons and addresses congregations on every Friday at Zuhur (noon) prayers. However, political observers here do not see the move as any kind of rapprochement or thaw between the two separatist leaders.

Incidentally, Mirwaiz Farooq is at present away in the United States where he had gone to attend the OIC Summit held on the sidelines of the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mr Geelani broke away from the Hurriyat Conference, the main separatist alliance of Kashmir, in 2003 following serious differences with the Mirwaiz and other amalgam leaders.

UNI AG HS DS1404