Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said his meeting with Iranian officials in New Delhi was aimed at expressing solidarity with Iran and its people and calling for peace and diplomacy.

Amid objections raised in certain quarters over Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq meeting the visiting Iranian President in New Delhi, the Mirwaiz has said that he and other Kashmiri leaders travelled to the capital to convey solidarity on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Their purpose, he said, was to express support for Iran and its people at a moment when they were facing a war imposed upon them.

Pezeshkian was in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit and participate in bilateral and multilateral engagements. On the sidelines of the summit, the Mirwaiz, accompanied by Aga Syed Hassan and Moulvi Imran Raza Ansari, held a detailed conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

According to a statement issued here on Sunday, the discussion focused on the regional situation, the need for restraint and diplomacy, and the importance of preserving unity within the Muslim Ummah amid widening conflict.

The delegation conveyed concern over the loss of innocent lives, destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the climate of fear created by ongoing hostilities. It also highlighted the continuing devastation in Palestine and instability in Lebanon, saying the expanding cycle of conflict had created a serious situation across West Asia.

The Mirwaiz stressed that wisdom, restraint and statesmanship were essential at such a juncture. War, he said, only multiplies human suffering, while even the most difficult disputes must ultimately return to dialogue, engagement and negotiation.

“At a time when Muslims globally face Islamophobia, insecurity and uncertainty, political rivalries and sectarian differences should not be permitted to weaken the Ummah,” he said.

The Mirwaiz also recalled the historic association between Iran and Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, including the commemorative gathering held there after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 and Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei’s early post-Revolution visit to Kashmir, when he addressed the Friday congregation.

During the New Delhi meeting, the Mirwaiz presented Araghchi with a specially crafted walnut-wood souvenir depicting the Jama Masjid, symbolising the cultural and spiritual ties between Kashmir and Iran.

The statement said Kashmiris had also organised donation drives in recent weeks to support Iranian civilians affected by the US-Israel attacks. Local mosques, community groups and youth organisations collected contributions as an expression of humanitarian concern.

Referring to the wider regional situation, the Mirwaiz said South Asia’s experience had demonstrated the human cost of prolonged tensions and unresolved disputes. He said India, with its legacy of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Ahimsa, could play a constructive role in encouraging restraint, diplomacy and peaceful engagement.

The delegation expressed hope that the crisis would not widen and that diplomacy, dialogue and reconciliation would prevail over confrontation.

“Human dignity has no sect or nationality, and every innocent life is precious,” the Mirwaiz said, adding that “in moments of global turmoil”, it was essential to remain “on the side of justice, humanity and peace”.


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