Srinagar, Oct 13: The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has rejected any attempt by the Waqf Board to prescribe uniform Friday sermons in mosques across Jammu and Kashmir, saying religious discourse cannot be regulated by a statutory or administrative body.
In a statement, the MMU, an amalgam of leading religious and socio-religious organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, said even the suggestion that a statutory body could determine or regulate what is preached from the mimbar (pulpit) was unacceptable and would not be accepted by Muslims in the region.
It said the mimbar was an amanah (sacred trust) and that religious guidance fell within the domain of Ulema, Imams and recognised religious institutions, rooted in Islamic scholarship and the traditions of different schools of thought.
“The state or government cannot assume for itself the authority to determine religious discourse and scripted speech to be delivered, or interfere in matters of faith and religious practice,” the statement said.
