Srinagar, Oct 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board’s reported move to introduce common themes for Friday sermons has drawn sharp opposition from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and other political leaders, who have termed the initiative an interference in Muslim religious affairs and questioned the authority to prescribe what Imams should address from mosque pulpits.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly opposed the reported initiative, saying it would not be accepted under any circumstances. He accused the BJP of attempting to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims and called on the Waqf Board chairperson to halt the move.
“This is an unacceptable attempt by the BJP to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims and will not be accepted under any circumstances,” Omar Abdullah said, adding that the Board’s chairperson should immediately stop the initiative.
National Conference legislator Tanvir Sadiq also criticised the proposal, arguing that Imams and Khateebs spend years studying the Quran and Hadith and should not be directed by political authorities on what to preach.
He said people attend Friday prayers to seek religious guidance and understand the challenges facing society, adding that sermons should not be reduced to prescribed scripts or made to serve a political narrative. Sadiq demanded withdrawal of the reported order.
National Conference leader Salman Sagar described reports of attempts to exercise control over Friday sermons as a matter of grave concern, questioning whether the subjects discussed by Imams and the issues they raise should be subjected to political scrutiny.
“A mosque is not an instrument of political messaging, nor can its pulpit become a mouthpiece for any government or political organisation,” Sagar said, arguing that religious sermons should be shaped by faith, moral values and the needs of the community rather than political instructions.
He maintained that the issue was not about resisting accountability but about protecting the right of religious communities to practise and articulate their faith without political dictates. He also called for a clear distinction between the authority of the State and the independence of religious institutions.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has also opposed the reported move, questioning the authority of the Waqf Board to prescribe common sermon topics and demanding that the initiative be withdrawn. Her objections centre on the autonomy of religious institutions and the role of the Board in determining the content of Friday sermons.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti also criticised the proposal, describing a uniform, one-size-fits-all sermon as unwarranted religious interference. She accused the Waqf Board of acting contrary to its stated responsibility of protecting Muslim religious interests.
The opposition comes amid reports that the Waqf Board plans to establish a committee of Muftis, Imams and Khateebs to select common themes for Friday sermons at institutions under its administration. The Board has said the initiative is intended to promote religious awareness, moral values, social harmony and discussion of pressing social concerns, including drug abuse.
The Board’s chairperson, Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, has maintained that the proposed themes would be selected by religious scholars rather than government officials. However, questions remain over the precise scope of the reported directive, whether participation would be compulsory for affiliated institutions and whether the arrangement could extend to mosques outside the Board’s administration.
The controversy has brought the autonomy of religious institutions and the limits of administrative oversight into focus, with political leaders insisting that the content of Friday sermons should remain guided by religious scholarship and community needs.
