Atiya Mujeeb
Jammu, October 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti have opposed the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board’s proposal to introduce common themes for Friday sermons at mosques affiliated with the Board.
Omar Abdullah termed the proposal unacceptable, alleging that it amounted to interference in the religious affairs of Muslims. He urged Waqf Board chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi to withdraw the initiative.
Mehbooba Mufti also criticised the proposal, questioning who would decide what Imams should address during Friday sermons. Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, she said local religious scholars understood the concerns of their communities and should be allowed to decide the issues discussed in mosques.
Mehbooba also called for the Waqf Board to be brought under the administrative control of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
The controversy follows the Waqf Board’s announcement that a core committee of Muftis, Imams and Khateebs had been formed to identify and finalise common topics for Friday sermons at affiliated religious institutions.
