The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board’s proposal to introduce uniform Friday sermons at mosques across the region has triggered opposition from political leaders and Muslim religious scholars, who say the move amounts to government interference in religious affairs.
The board, headed by Darakhshan Andrabi, a local leader associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), announced the proposal last weekend. The plan has drawn criticism from senior Muslim scholars, who described it as “irresponsible interference into the religious affairs of Kashmiri Muslims”.
Andrabi has defended the proposal, saying the sermons would be prepared by a committee of senior religious scholars. As per the reports, she said the committee would identify issues that needed to be addressed through Friday sermons, including drug abuse and other social problems in the region.
She also told the media that religious scholars would approve the sermons and that government officials would have no role in deciding their content.
On Sunday, the Waqf Board convened a meeting of around 1,500 religious scholars and preachers from across Kashmir. While some attended in person, others from remote areas joined online.
A scholar from Rajouri district, about 180km (110 miles) from Srinagar, attended the meeting virtually. Speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, he said Andrabi had instructed participants that a sermon prepared and approved by a committee of senior scholars would be recited at mosque pulpits across the region every Friday.
The scholar said participants had not been informed who would serve on the committee. He added that when some attendees questioned the proposal, they were told the decision had already been made.
“When we objected, saying that we won’t adhere to the directives if the sermon was found to be violative of Islamic teachings, she brushed aside our concerns and didn’t let us speak,” the scholar said, adding that Andrabi had insisted the decision was final and had been under consideration for four years.
He requested anonymity, citing fears of reprisals from the authorities.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of wider political changes in Indian-administered Kashmir. The region, claimed by both India and Pakistan, has experienced decades of political unrest. Demands for a referendum to determine its future gave way to an armed uprising against Indian rule in 1989, following allegations of electoral fraud.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also criticised the idea of uniform sermons, questioning the rationale behind such directives. In a video statement, she said Friday sermons are shaped by issues and circumstances specific to a region or locality, while also addressing broader social and national concerns. Imposing a uniform format on these sermons, she argued, would overlook local realities and undermine the role of religious scholars in guiding their communities.
Drawing a parallel with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) push for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Mufti said opposition to such measures stems from concerns that uniformity cannot be imposed on a diverse society without disregarding its distinct religious practices, customs and traditions. “India’s strength lies in its pluralism, where different communities have the freedom to follow their respective faiths and traditions, and not in forcing them into a single framework,” she said.
Meanwhile, Waqf Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi sought to clarify the board’s position at a press conference on Tuesday, cautioning political parties against “politicising” the issue in Jammu and Kashmir. “This isn’t about politics. The decision on the contents of Friday sermons is up to the imams themselves. I head a religious body, and our contention is that we should be able to discuss issues and concerns of our society,” she said.
