Kashmir: Waqf Board Withdraws Proposal for Uniform Friday Sermons After Backlash

Kashmir: Waqf Board Withdraws Proposal for Uniform Friday Sermons After Backlash
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The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has withdrawn a proposal to standardize Friday sermons in mosques across the region following religious and political opposition, with critics arguing that the plan would interfere in Islamic affairs and restrict religious freedom.

The proposal, put forward by board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi, was discussed at a meeting attended by around 1,500 Islamic scholars and preachers. Participants reportedly raised concerns about being required to deliver a prepared sermon without clear information about the committee responsible for drafting it.

Religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulama opposed the initiative, arguing that sermon content should be determined by religious scholars rather than administrative bodies. Local Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former minister Naeem Akhtar also criticized the proposal.

Following the backlash, Andrabi said scholars and preachers would be free to choose their own sermon topics, while encouraging them to address social issues such as drug addiction, suicide and psychological trauma.

The dispute comes amid broader concerns over the administration of Muslim religious institutions in Kashmir, particularly following India’s revocation of the region’s special constitutional status in 2019.