Srinagar, Oct 13 (JKNS): Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi on Tuesday clarified that the Board has issued no order making uniform Friday sermons mandatory in mosques affiliated with it.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, as per news agency JKNS, Andrabi said religious scholars and preachers were free to decide the content of their sermons, adding that the Board had not issued any directive imposing a common sermon.
“There is no order. There is no order anywhere,” Andrabi said, responding to the controversy surrounding the proposed uniform Friday sermons.
She said religious scholars had discussed social issues and expressed their willingness to work towards addressing problems affecting society, including drug abuse, difficulties faced by young people, and other social concerns.
Andrabi said the initiative was aimed at addressing social evils and that religious scholars could decide independently what issues they wanted to raise in their sermons.
Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s allegation that the BJP was attempting to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims, Andrabi questioned the charge and defended the Board’s functioning.
“Where did BJP interfere?” she said, adding that she was proud to be associated with the BJP.
She further said religious scholars would be involved in the process and clarified that she herself would not be a member of the proposed core committee, which she said would comprise religious scholars.
Andrabi reiterated that there would be no interference in the sermons delivered by religious scholars and that they would be free to address issues of their choice. (JKNS)