The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has rolled back its move toward uniform Friday sermons in mosques across the Union Territory, saying on Tuesday that no such order had been issued and that sermon themes would remain the preachers' call, not the politicians'.
Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi told reporters the Board had issued "no order" making common sermon themes compulsory and that such decisions "will be taken by preachers and not politicians", according to The Hindu. The clarification came two days after an Executive Magistrate of the Board informed preachers that "only one topic will be highlighted" in Friday sermons.
Backlash from across the political and religious spectrum
The magistrate's directive had drawn sharp criticism from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. Abdullah called it "an unacceptable attempt by the BJP to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims", the Indian Express reported. The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, a coalition of religious organisations, described the move as "forcible State intrusion into the religious sphere".
Board says intent was social, not political
Andrabi said the original idea was far narrower than the backlash suggested: the Board had wanted preachers to collectively address social problems such as drug abuse, late marriages and youth waywardness through a preachers' board, The Hindu reported. She maintained the Board had no plan to impose compulsory common themes.
The episode underscores the sensitivity of state involvement in religious affairs in Kashmir, where sermons delivered from pulpits carry both spiritual weight and political resonance. With the chief minister, the Valley's top cleric and opposition leaders ranged on one side and the Board on the other, the controversy had quickly acquired a political dimension before Tuesday's climbdown.
Sources:
- The Hindu: Omar, Mehbooba, Mirwaiz oppose J&K Waqf Board's push for uniform Friday sermons
- Indian Express: Kashmir Waqf Board uniform Friday sermons row
- ETV Bharat: J&K Waqf Board uniform sermons in mosques
Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi told reporters the Board had issued "no order" making common sermon themes compulsory and that such decisions "will be taken by preachers and not politicians", according to The Hindu. The clarification came two days after an Executive Magistrate of the Board informed preachers that "only one topic will be highlighted" in Friday sermons.
Backlash from across the political and religious spectrum
The magistrate's directive had drawn sharp criticism from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. Abdullah called it "an unacceptable attempt by the BJP to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims", the Indian Express reported. The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, a coalition of religious organisations, described the move as "forcible State intrusion into the religious sphere".
Board says intent was social, not political
Andrabi said the original idea was far narrower than the backlash suggested: the Board had wanted preachers to collectively address social problems such as drug abuse, late marriages and youth waywardness through a preachers' board, The Hindu reported. She maintained the Board had no plan to impose compulsory common themes.
The episode underscores the sensitivity of state involvement in religious affairs in Kashmir, where sermons delivered from pulpits carry both spiritual weight and political resonance. With the chief minister, the Valley's top cleric and opposition leaders ranged on one side and the Board on the other, the controversy had quickly acquired a political dimension before Tuesday's climbdown.
Sources:
- The Hindu: Omar, Mehbooba, Mirwaiz oppose J&K Waqf Board's push for uniform Friday sermons
- Indian Express: Kashmir Waqf Board uniform Friday sermons row
- ETV Bharat: J&K Waqf Board uniform sermons in mosques
