Srinagar, Oct 13: Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi on Tuesday rejected allegations that the Board had directed mosques across the Union Territory to deliver uniform Friday sermons, saying Imams and Khateebs would independently decide the topics.
Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's criticism that the move amounted to BJP interference in religious affairs, Andrabi said political leaders should first listen to her press briefing delivered on Saturday before commenting on the issue.
She said the Waqf Board oversees mosques and shrines and works with religious scholars and teachers to address social problems. According to Andrabi, religious institutions have an important role in raising awareness about issues such as drug abuse, youth distress and suicide.
Andrabi said thousands of scholars were associated with the Board and that decisions concerning religious matters were not taken by the chairperson alone. She explained that discussions among scholars had focused on addressing common social concerns through Friday sermons, with the aim of creating a wider impact on society.
She maintained that the government had no role in deciding sermon topics. Imams and Khateebs, she said, remained free to choose what they wished to discuss and could use religious teachings to promote social reform.
The Waqf Board chairperson also welcomed remarks by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq during his Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, saying his views on social issues reflected the importance of religious leaders in guiding society.
Taking aim at political critics, Andrabi accused some leaders of creating controversy by presenting partial information whenever the Board undertook initiatives. She argued that religious scholars possessed the knowledge and experience required to guide young people and address social challenges.
Rejecting allegations that the initiative was part of a BJP or RSS agenda, Andrabi questioned why efforts to raise awareness about drug abuse and other social evils were being linked to politics. She said religious scholars should be allowed to perform their duties independently without political interference.
She further clarified that the Board had issued no formal directive requiring all mosques to follow a common sermon topic. Any discussion of a particular social issue, she said, would remain at the discretion of the respective Imams and Khateebs.
Andrabi also criticised political leaders for bringing religious institutions into political disputes, alleging that controversies surrounding the Waqf Board were being used to divert attention from other issues. She said the Board would continue its religious and social work for as long as she remai
ned its chairperson.
