Waqf sermon row widens

Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 13
Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi on Tuesday denied issuing any directive to Imams on Friday sermons, as political parties and religious leaders opposed a reported proposal to introduce common themes across Masjids in Kashmir.
Andrabi said the initiative was intended to encourage discussion of social problems, including drug addiction and suicide, rather than dictate religious discourse. Critics, however, said the reported move risked undermining the independence of religious institutions and the authority of Imams and Islamic scholars.
“No directive has gone from here,” Andrabi said, adding that Imams would decide independently on their sermons and that no government machinery was involved.
She said discussing a common social concern across several Masjids could help raise awareness and influence young people.
“If there is a particular problem in Srinagar, and it is discussed in 10 Masjids, it will have an impact on society,” she said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the reported initiative as interference in the religious affairs of Muslims and called on the board to halt it.
“This is an unacceptable attempt by the BJP to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims and will not be accepted under any circumstances,” Abdullah said.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti said religious faith could not be dictated through administrative decisions. She called for the administration of Waqf properties in Jammu and Kashmir to be transferred to the elected government and urged authorities to allow the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, to vet sermons if the proposal proceeded.
National Conference legislator and chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq also called for the reported order to be withdrawn.
People’s Conference President Sajad Lone said pre-screening Friday sermons through a Waqf Board committee would interfere with religious freedom and the independence of the pulpit.
“The pulpit belongs to faith, not government micromanagement,” Lone said.
Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari said the board should have consulted religious leaders and sought wider public opinion before proposing common sermon themes. He said the MMU provided an important platform for scholars to discuss sensitive religious issues.
The MMU rejected attempts by the board to prescribe or regulate Friday sermons, saying religious guidance fell within the domain of Islamic scholars, Imams and recognised religious institutions.
“The state or government cannot assume for itself the authority to determine religious discourse and scripted speech to be delivered,” the organisation said in a statement.
It urged the board to focus on its administrative responsibilities, including the management, maintenance and protection of Waqf properties.
Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqi also objected to the reported decision, saying any intervention in sermon content required consultation with established Islamic authorities.
He said the Waqf Board’s administrative role did not give it unrestricted authority to determine religious discourse and warned against using religious platforms for political messaging.
Andrabi, meanwhile, cited remarks by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq during a Friday sermon at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid on social problems, saying she welcomed his emphasis on addressing such concerns.
The dispute centres on the reported proposal for common sermon themes, the autonomy of religious institutions and the extent of the Waqf Board’s role in religious affairs.