SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday opposed the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board’s proposal to introduce uniform Friday sermons across mosques, accusing the BJP of using the Union Territory to test measures that she alleged encroached on Muslim religious affairs.
Addressing a press conference, the former chief minister said the proposed arrangement could pave the way for similar measures elsewhere in the country, questioning the government’s authority to determine what imams should preach during Friday congregations.
“Jammu and Kashmir has become a laboratory for the BJP. First, such measures are tested here and then implemented across the country,” she said, comparing the proposal with the BJP’s push for a Uniform Civil Code.
Mehbooba argued that sermon topics should reflect the concerns of individual communities and be decided by religious scholars rather than government-appointed bodies.
“Every area has its own issues. Sometimes an incident takes place in a particular locality, and the Maulvi addresses it during the Friday sermon. How can there be one uniform Khutba for everyone?” she asked.
She also questioned the role of the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in matters concerning Islamic practices, alleging that administrative decisions were increasingly intruding into Muslim religious affairs.
The PDP chief demanded that the Waqf Board be brought under the Jammu and Kashmir government and proposed that any coordination concerning Friday sermons be handled by the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
“First, the Waqf Board should be handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir government. If there is any need to decide matters concerning Khutba, it should be done by the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema under Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,” she said.
Referring to her party’s opposition to the Waqf legislation, Mehbooba said the PDP had consistently challenged what it considers government interference in Muslim religious institutions.
“We have already brought a resolution against the Waqf Bill and have consistently opposed such interference,” she said.
She maintained that mosques had been established and maintained through public contributions and Zakat, arguing that decisions about religious teachings should remain with scholars and worshippers.
The Waqf Board is seeking to introduce a system under which Friday sermon topics would be decided in advance and approved by a committee of preachers across mosques in Jammu and Kashmir.
