Srinagar, October 13: PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday opposed the Waqf Board’s proposal for common Friday sermon themes, accusing the BJP of using the region as a testing ground for measures affecting Muslim religious practices.
Mehbooba alleged that initiatives introduced in Jammu and Kashmir could later be extended elsewhere in the country. She questioned the authority of the Waqf Board and political leaders to determine what Imams should address during Friday prayers.
She said local religious scholars understood the concerns of their communities and were best placed to choose sermon subjects. In her view, a uniform format would overlook differences in local circumstances and weaken the role of Imams in providing guidance.
Mehbooba also called for the Waqf Board to be brought under the elected Jammu and Kashmir government, suggesting that established religious bodies, including the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema, should address matters of religious guidance.
Responding to the controversy, Waqf Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi said no order had been issued making uniform sermons mandatory. She maintained that religious scholars would independently decide the topics and that the initiative sought to address social concerns such as drug abuse and problems affecting young people.
