Srinagar, Oct 13 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi on Tuesday said no order had been issued to make uniform Friday sermons mandatory in mosques affiliated with the Board, asserting that religious scholars and preachers were free to decide the content of their sermons.
Addressing a press conference here, Andrabi said there was no directive imposing a common sermon across mosques.
“There is no order. There is no order anywhere,” she said, responding to the controversy over the proposed uniform Friday sermons.
She said religious scholars had discussed various social issues and expressed their willingness to contribute towards addressing challenges such as drug abuse, problems faced by youth and other concerns affecting society.
The initiative was aimed at addressing social evils, and religious scholars would be free to decide which issues they wished to raise during their sermons, she said.
Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s allegation that the BJP was attempting to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims, Andrabi questioned the charge.
“Where did BJP interfere?” she said, adding that she was proud to be associated with the BJP.
Andrabi also clarified that she would not be part of the proposed core committee, saying religious scholars would be involved in the process.
She reiterated that preachers would retain the freedom to deliver sermons according to their own choices, with no interference in their religious discourse.—(NVI)
