Mirwaiz Umar Farooq gets PhD in Islamic studies

From a teenager orphaned by militancy to a PhD scholar, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has come a long way. The moderate Hurriyat Conference leader has become the youngest separatist to acquire a doctorate in Islamic studies.

The 37-year-old took five years to complete research on Mir Syed Ali Hamdanis Dhakriratul Muluk — An Annotation and Translation under the supervision of Naseer Ahmad Shah, former head of Islamic studies at University of Kashmir.

Mirwaiz’s has been a long journey to academic excellence during which he endured several personal tragedies.

When he was 18, militants killed his illustrious father Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq in cold blood on May 21, 1990, forcing the youngster to forgo personal dreams and heed the call of Kashmir. He soon became the youngest chief cleric of the state and head of the separatist Awami Action Committee.

In 1993, Mirwaiz became the first chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference.

Despite being in the hot seat of separatist politics, his quest for higher education continued. “My house arrest proved to be a blessing in disguise because I got time to complete my research,” he told DNA.