Aqzar Raheel

Srinagar, Oct13(KNZ/TMJ): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday accused the BJP of interfering in the religious affairs of Muslims, describing Jammu and Kashmir as a “laboratory” for testing measures before implementing them elsewhere in the country.

Addressing a press conference, Mufti criticised a reported directive concerning Friday sermons in mosques and demanded that the Waqf Board be transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Mufti said mosques were built through public contributions and that decisions regarding Friday sermons should be left to imams and religious scholars, who understand the concerns of their respective communities.

“Who will decide what our imams and religious scholars should say in Friday sermons?” she asked, questioning the authority of the Minorities Minister and the Waqf Board to determine the content of religious sermons.

Alleging that the BJP was attempting to impose uniformity in religious practices, the PDP chief drew a parallel with the Uniform Civil Code. She said Friday sermons could not be identical everywhere, as local imams often address issues specific to their respective areas and communities.

“Jammu and Kashmir has become a laboratory for the BJP. Whenever they introduce an order of this kind here, it becomes a testing ground. They test it in this laboratory first and then implement it across the country,” Mufti said.

She alleged that restrictions and measures witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir were now being extended to other parts of the country, including Delhi.

Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim-majority region and questioned how a minister who, according to her, did not understand Islam or the concerns of the Muslim community could decide what should be discussed in mosques.

The PDP president demanded that the Waqf Board be handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir government, arguing that decisions concerning religious matters should reflect the sentiments of the local Muslim community.

She also called for the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, to be allowed to take decisions concerning Friday sermons, describing him as an authorised representative of the community’s religious concerns.

Mufti further alleged that local religious leaders had received informal instructions from higher authorities specifying what they could and could not discuss during sermons.

Emphasising the role of mosques and religious scholars in the region, she said Islam had spread across Kashmir through the efforts of religious leaders and scholars, adding that sermons often addressed local concerns and incidents.

“These mosques do not belong to the authorities. They are not anyone’s personal property. They were built by local people using their Zakat contributions and money given in the name of their faith,” Mufti said.

She termed the reported directive unacceptable and reiterated that decisions concerning religious sermons should be left to the community’s religious leadership rather than imposed through administrative instructions.(KNZ/TMJ)