SRINAGAR: The J&K Waqf Board’s move to introduce uniform Friday sermons across Jammu & Kashmir has drawn fierce criticism in the region from key political figures, including CM Omar Abdullah.“This is an unacceptable attempt by BJP to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims and will not be accepted under any circumstances. The BJP-appointed chairperson must immediately halt this misplaced attempt to please her masters,” Omar said.Waqf Board chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi belongs to BJP.PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called for the transfer of Waqf administration in J&K to the elected government. “This is the BJP’s agenda to harass Muslims. They want to interfere in our religious affairs. Just like the Uniform Civil Code, they also want to impose uniformity in this matter. These are our mosques, built with our people’s money. Our imams and maulvis know what to say and when,” she said.On Saturday, Andrabi chaired a meeting of muftis, imams and other religious scholars proposing a committee to identify and finalise topics for Friday sermons in advance and communicate them to mosque imams associated with Waqf-managed institutions across J&K and other mosques. The meeting, according to Andrabi, was attended by around 1,500 imams and Islamic scholars.Andrabi said the Waqf Board has not issued any order or directive on the issue.She said religious scholars and imams proposed uniform Friday sermons to address social evils like drug abuse, suicide and late marriages. “All imams and preachers had assembled and there was no role of the Waqf board officials in it,” she said.

Rejecting criticism from political figures, Andrabi said Muslim scholars associated with the Waqf Board were qualified to take such decisions and urged politicians to stay out of the matter. “If politicians are of the view that imams should not talk about drug abuse and other evils, then fine,” she said.Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who also heads Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), the largest representative organization of Islamic scholars, imams, and socio-religious bodies in J&K, said MMU strongly rejects any attempt by the Waqf Board to prescribe uniform Friday sermons. “The religious guidance is the domain of ulema and imams, not state-linked bodies. Such interference in matters of faith and religious practice is unacceptable. The Waqf Board must confine itself to its administrative responsibilities,” Mirwaiz said.