Shopian court orders re-opening of Siraj-ul-Aloom seminary five months after UAPA ban

A court in Shopian has ordered the re-opening of Siraj-ul-Aloom, one of south Kashmir's largest seminaries, five months after the government declared it an "unlawful entity" under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The interim direction was passed by District Judge Shopian Mehmood Ahmad Chowdhary on a petition filed by the seminary. The court also ordered the restoration of the institution's assets, including its hostel and orchard, until the petition is finally decided.

"It was an interim direction. The court said that the education of the students shouldn't suffer," Advocate S M Iqbal, who represents the seminary, said. A detailed order is expected on Friday.

The court has directed the formation of a committee to supervise the seminary's working. It will include a representative of the district administration, a representative of the education department, and a "reputable person" from the district.

Siraj-ul-Aloom was the first seminary in Jammu and Kashmir to be declared unlawful. The order accused it of "covert linkages" with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), along with allegations of "serious legal, administrative and financial irregularities" and "radicalization". The government said the institute had been given an opportunity to explain its position, but its objections were "misconceived, factually untenable, and devoid of legal merit".

The ban came days after the administration took over 58 schools said to be affiliated with the Falah-e-Aam Trust. Political leaders in the Valley described the move as a "vicious attack on Jammu and Kashmir's identity and dignity".

Before the ban, the seminary ran a school offering both religious and modern education, with classes up to standard 12 recognised by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education. It was established in 1998 after a local saint, Peer Gull Mohammad Sofi, donated six hectares of land. While some members of the institute were affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, the school was run by a separate body under the Siraj-ul-Aloom Educational Trust.