CM Omar Abdullah Chairs Civil Society Meet In Srinagar; 'Fatiha' Offered For Ayatollah Khamenei Amid West Asia Tensions

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday offered tributes and prayers to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Srinagar.

Led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the gathering includes civil society and religious leaders as Kashmir faced protests over the United States' and Israel's attack on Iran on Saturday.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, Omar met religious leaders and civil society members regarding the evolving situation in West Asia. Participants expressed concern over the developments in the region. The gathering conveyed condolences over the loss of lives in Iran and prayed for peace and stability in the region.

A Fatiha was offered for Khamenei and all those who died in the recent developments, with participants expressing hope that the situation would stabilize soon.

Addressing the gathering, Abdullah insisted for maintaining peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged people to respect public sentiments while ensuring that expressions of grief and mourning remain peaceful and responsible. He stressed that communal harmony and social stability must be preserved at all times in the Union Territory.

In a post on X, Omar said, "At the Civil Society interaction held in Srinagar today, Fatiha was offered for Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei and for all those who lost their lives in the recent developments in Iran. The participants prayed for peace and expressed hope for stability."

On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference passed a resolution extending condolences and sympathies to Iran on Khamenei's death.

The party’s General Secretary, Ali Mohammad Sagar, led functionaries in offering tributes to Khamenei, describing him as a prominent religious figure of the Shia community worldwide. A condolence meeting was held at the party headquarters in Srinagar, where participants recited Fatiha for all victims of what the party termed a joint US-Israel attack on Iran.

A resolution expressing grief and solidarity was presented by the party’s Provincial President (Kashmir), Showkat Ahmad Mir, and unanimously seconded by those present. Among others who attended were District President Srinagar Pir Afaq Ahmad and Women’s Wing Provincial President Er. Sabiya Qadri. Party Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly also expressed solidarity with the people of Iran.

Earlier, on March 1 (Sunday), Omar said he was “deeply concerned” about the unfolding developments in Iran, including the killing of Khamenei. He appealed to all communities to remain calm and avoid actions that could lead to tension or unrest.

He also said that those mourning in Jammu and Kashmir should be allowed to grieve peacefully and urged the police and administration to exercise restraint. Abdullah added that the Jammu and Kashmir government was in close coordination with India’s Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safety and well-being of residents from the Union Territory, including students, currently in Iran.

A day after, Srinagar Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi criticized what he described as a lack of condemnation of the attack, without naming Omar directly.

On Tuesday, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a post on X that filing an FIR against Ruhullah and Junaid Azim Matoo over their statements was “unwarranted and unjust,” and called for it to be withdrawn.

"Just because the GOI & NC government in Jammu & Kashmir have chosen to remain silent on the blatant aggression by US and Israel against Iran and the martyrdom of its Supreme Leader doesn’t mean that those who speak out are offenders to be booked under the law," she said.

Read More:

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