The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board’s move to introduce common themes for Friday sermons at mosques under its control has drawn criticism from National Conference leader Imran Nabi Dar, who questioned the role of the authorities in deciding what religious preachers should discuss.
The Waqf Board has proposed forming a committee of Islamic scholars and preachers to select topics for sermons delivered at mosques and shrines across the Union Territory. The initiative aims to bring greater uniformity to discussions on social issues, including drug abuse and women’s concerns.
Reacting to the proposal, Dar alleged that the move could allow the BJP to influence religious discourse in Kashmir.
“[The] BJP will draft Friday sermons for mosques across Kashmir. They will decide what issues our preachers will talk about, what colour they will give them and what issues are brushed under the carpet,” Dar said in a social media post.
“The content will be theirs, the wording will be theirs and the intent will be theirs,” he added.
Dar said he was not a fundamentalist but opposed the proposed arrangement as a Muslim. He also expressed confidence that religious leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, would resist the move.
Waqf Board Says Religious Scholars Will Select Topics
Waqf Board chairperson Syed Darakhshan Andrabi has said a committee of religious scholars will decide which issues should be addressed in the sermons. She said the board’s chairperson and government officials would not have a direct role in selecting the topics.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.
