Kashmir Waqf Board faces backlash over uniform Friday sermon proposal

The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has faced intense backlash following a proposal to introduce uniform Friday sermons across mosques in the region. The initiative aimed to have a committee select common social themes, such as addressing drug abuse, to be recited during congregational prayers.

Political leaders and religious scholars have condemned the move as an attempt by the government to interfere in Muslim religious affairs and assert control over religious spaces. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the proposal as an unacceptable attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to influence faith, while former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti suggested the region was being used as a laboratory for government policies.

Religious organizations, including the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, argued that determining sermon content is the sole responsibility of Islamic scholars and imams. Following the widespread opposition, Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi reportedly retracted the stance, clarifying that no official directive had been issued.