Mirwaiz Umar's 'Hobson's Choice': Relinquishes Hurriyat Title to Save X Account
Mirwaiz explained the decision in a post on 'X', stating he had faced sustained pressure from authorities to alter his profile.
SRINAGAR: In a notable development, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir's chief Muslim cleric and a prominent moderate separatist figure, removed the designation "Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference" from his verified 'X' profile on Thursday evening.
The change, which left his bio containing only his name and basic location details, sparked widespread discussion on social media.On Friday morning, the Mirwaiz explained the decision in a post on 'X', stating he had faced sustained pressure from authorities to alter his profile. He noted that all constituent groups of the Hurriyat Conference—including the Awami Action Committee, which he leads—have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 effectively rendering the Hurriyat Conference a prohibited organisation.
"For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my 'X' handle as Hurriyat chairman... failing which they will take down my handle," he wrote. He emphasised the importance of the platform amid restricted public spaces: "At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and share my views on our issues with them, and the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson’s choice I was left to make."
In recent years, internal divisions, post-2019 crackdowns following the abrogation of Article 370, and bans on key factions have significantly eroded the APHC's prominence.
The APHC was established in 1993 as an umbrella organisation of various separatist and religious groups in Jammu and Kashmir. Its primary objective was to provide a unified political platform advocating for the right to self-determination for the people of the region, in line with United Nations resolutions. Over the years, the amalgam became a significant voice in Kashmir’s separatist politics, often influencing public sentiment and political discourse. However, internal divisions, declining public support, and stringent government measures have considerably weakened its influence in recent years.
The Mirwaiz, who assumed leadership of the Hurriyat’s moderate faction, was seen as a key figure promoting dialogue and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. His move to drop the Hurriyat title symbolises the diminishing role of separatist leadership in the Valley, which once held considerable sway over its political landscape
The Mirwaiz’s decision to remove the title “Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference” from his ‘X’ profile triggered a wave of criticism. Trolls descended on ‘X’, Facebook, and other social media platforms, questioning his intent and integrity. One user Abrar Shakeel wrote, “When sermons replace solutions and slogans replace sacrifice, innocent blood becomes currency for careers.” Another, identifying himself as Minhaj, accused him of elitism, saying, “Mirwaiz lives as a privileged elite, turning moral authority into spectacle, profiting from suffering while ordinary lives bear the cost.”
Yet, alongside the criticism, many voices rose in his defence, calling the move an unavoidable compulsion shaped by the circumstances he faced. Among them was People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and lawmaker Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, who publicly supported the Mirwaiz, interpreting the step as a gesture toward peace.
Parra invoked the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah—the landmark 10‑year truce signed in 628 AD between the Prophet Muhammad’s community in Medina and the Quraysh of Mecca. He reminded critics that the Prophet himself agreed to erase the words “Muhammad‑ur‑Rasoolullah”—the very essence of the Kalima—from the treaty document solely to secure peace. “History remembers this not as compromise,” Parra noted, “but as wisdom, foresight, and moral courage.”
In a detailed post on ‘X’, he added that if the Mirwaiz had removed the APHC designation as an act of peace, it should not be turned into a weapon against him. “Choosing peace over rigidity is not weakness; it is leadership,” he wrote. “Mirwaiz has acted within the framework of law and circumstance. Those attacking and trolling him are deliberately trying to undermine him, making his path harder despite the extraordinary challenges he has endured and the supreme sacrifice of his father. Such attacks do not serve justice or peace—they only deepen division.”
