Head of Kashmir Waqf Board withdraws statement on uniform sermons — Al Jazeera
In Indian-administered Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi withdrew her earlier statement on introducing uniform Friday sermons in the region’s mosques following criticism. She said that independent theologians, preachers and speakers would decide for themselves whether to address social issues in their sermons, including suicides, mental trauma and drug abuse, Al Jazeera reports.
Plan for standardized sermons
Earlier, the board announced its intention to introduce standardized Friday sermons in the region’s mosques. Andrabi explained that a committee under the board’s auspices was to determine topics for such sermons, while their content would be approved by religious scholars without the involvement of government officials.
On Sunday, the board convened about 1,500 Kashmir theologians and preachers, some of whom joined the meeting remotely. A theologian from the Rajouri district, who wished to remain anonymous, told the publication that participants had been informed of plans to read from pulpits only a pre-approved text prepared by a committee of senior scholars. According to him, the composition of this committee was not announced.
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Criticism from religious figures
Leading Muslim scholars in Kashmir called the initial proposal an irresponsible interference in the religious affairs of Kashmiri Muslims. The region’s religious leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, warned that such a step would amount to direct interference. The association of religious organizations he leads, Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, stated that the content of sermons should be determined by Islamic scholars, not an administrative body.
The criticism was also supported by the region’s elected leader, Omar Abdullah. Former Kashmir education minister Naeem Akhtar said that the board should perform administrative functions rather than tell clergy how to deliver sermons.
The Waqf Board manages Muslim religious endowments. It is headed by Darakhshan Andrabi, who is associated with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Since India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in 2019, local politicians and religious figures have repeatedly accused the board of interfering in traditional religious practices.
