Srinagar, Oct 13 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board’s proposal to introduce uniform Friday sermon themes across mosques and religious institutions affiliated with it has triggered a political and religious controversy, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and several religious and political figures opposing the move.
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah termed the proposal “unacceptable”, accusing the BJP of interfering in the religious affairs of Muslims and calling upon the Waqf Board chairperson to withdraw the initiative.
In a post on X, Omar, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “This is an unacceptable attempt by the BJP to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims and will not be accepted under any circumstances. The BJP appointed Chairperson must immediately halt this misplaced attempt to please her masters.”
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also criticised the proposal, alleging that it reflected the BJP’s attempts to interfere in Muslim religious affairs.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mehbooba questioned who would decide what imams should preach during Friday sermons, saying local religious scholars were better placed to understand the concerns of their respective communities.
“Our imams and maulvis know what to say and when to speak,” she said, arguing that mosques had largely been built through contributions from local people and that religious scholars understood the issues facing their communities.
Mehbooba described Jammu and Kashmir as a “laboratory for the BJP” and called for the Waqf Board to be brought under the administrative control of the Jammu and Kashmir government. She also suggested that religious matters be addressed through established bodies of Islamic scholars, including the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The MMU also opposed the proposal, saying even the suggestion that a statutory body could determine or regulate what is preached from the mimbar was unacceptable.
In a statement, the amalgam of religious and socio-religious organisations said religious guidance was the domain of Ulema, Imams and recognised religious institutions. It maintained that a state-linked administrative body should not prescribe sermon topics or scripted speeches.
The MMU urged the Waqf Board to restrict itself to the management, maintenance and protection of Waqf properties and institutions rather than intervening in religious discourse.
Former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu also criticised the proposal, questioning the meaning of religious freedom if the government were to determine what imams could say during Friday sermons.
“If the BJP wants to decide what our Imams say in Friday sermons, what is left in this pretense of ‘freedom of religion’??? Or the Constitution??” Mattu wrote on X.
Describing the move as “a page out of a Margaret Atwood novel”, Mattu termed it an assault on religion, culture, language and history.
Budgam MLA Aga Muntazir Mehdi also opposed the proposal, saying the Waqf Board’s role should remain confined to managing Waqf properties and institutions rather than dictating religious discourse.
Mehdi said religious scholars were capable of identifying issues concerning their communities and deciding what needed to be addressed during Friday sermons. He cautioned that prescribing common themes could potentially be used to promote a particular narrative through religious institutions.
The controversy comes after Waqf Board chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi announced the constitution of a core committee comprising Muftis, Imams and Khateebs to identify and finalise common sermon topics for Waqf-affiliated religious institutions.—(KNO)