Kashmir: Waqf Board Coercing Takeover of Local Mosques and Shrines, Alleges Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulama

Srinagar: The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu and Kashmir, an amalgam of over 40 social and religious organisations, has said that Waqf Board is “deliberately” using force to take over local masjid committees, shrines and religious centres in the region.

The MMU said it held a meeting on Thursday with the Muslim Personal Law Board Jammu and Kashmir under the chairmanship of the region’s Grand Mufti Nasir ul Islam following which the organisations issued a detailed resolution adopted by the participants on several key issues involving the Kashmiri society including related to local religious centres.  

“There is a deliberate attempt by the Waqf Board to centralise all religious institutions, learning centres, Masjids and shrines of J&K under its aegis. We have received complaints from local masjid committees, shrines and religious learning centres that the Waqf is coercing takeover of these independent institutions in the locality, which understand the needs of their area and have for decades been rendering services that add value to the community living there,” the body said. 

The body urged the board to desist from “pursuing this agenda” and instead provide assistance and support to local centres and Masjid committees to let them flourish independently. The organisations expressed serious concerns over the current religious and socio-religious situation in the region, which they believed is encountering stressful conditions.

The Waqf Board is led by chairman Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who has been slammed for various decisions that many call political takeovers. The board’s management, however, argued that it is reforming the institution marred by years of corruption and decay.

The Ulema also highlighted their concern over the summons to the MMU president Moulana Rehmatullah Qasmi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a “terror funding case”. Qasmi, who heads the Darul Uloom Raheemiyyah of Bandipora in North Kashmir, is also one of the leading contemporary Muslim scholars in the region. The group said such actions are “deeply disturbing, sad and unacceptable”. 

During the meeting, the scholars also raised their protest against the detention of its founder patron Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Umar Farooq, who has been put under house arrest since August 2019 as the authorities moved to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A.

“The MMU called for the release of all prisoners and detainees, including Mirwaiz, so that he can fulfil his religious, Milli and official responsibilities towards the people and play a positive role in the reformation and resolution of the problems faced by Kashmiri society,” the MMU said in a statement.

The members also expressed anguish over efforts by some people to establish old age homes in the region, which they said was “unfortunate”.

MMU appealed to other scholars, heads of religious and educational institutions, and members of civil society to advocate for an alternative solution to what they termed a “crisis” faced by the elderly.