In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a joint meeting of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema Jammu and Kashmir and the Muslim Personal Law Board Jammu and Kashmir was held, today, under the chairmanship Grand Mufti of the territory, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, at his Soura office in Srinagar.
The participants of the meeting thoroughly dis-cussed various problems and issues faced by the Kashmiri society and presented their suggestions for addressing them. They also expressed concern over the summons of the Indian notorious National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the MMU President Maulana Rehmatullah Qasmi and said such actions are deeply disturbing, sad and unacceptable.
The meeting observed there is a deliberate attempt by the Waqf Board to centralise all religious institutions, learning centres, masajid and shrines of IIOJK under its aegis. They said the MMU has received complaints from local masjid committees, shrines and religious learning centres that the Board is coercing takeover of these independent institutions. It urged the Waqf Board to desist from pursuing this agenda and provide assistance and support to local centres and masjid committees to let them flourish independently.
The participants of the meeting protested the four-year-long illegal detention of the MMU’s founder patron Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the con-tinued imprisonment of other preachers. It also called for the release of all illegally detained Hurriyat leaders and activists languishing in different jails of India and the territory. They expressed serious concern over the rampant spread of drug abuse in the valley and demanded that the people involved in it must be given the strictest punishment. They said there is a dire need for united efforts to rid the Kashmiri society of this menace.
Among the personalities who participated in the meeting were Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, Maulana Showkat Hussain Keing, Maulana Khurshid Ahmed Qanungo, Agha Mujtaba Hassan Al Moosvi Al Safvi, Dr Sameer Siddiqui, Mufti Irshad Ahmed Qasmi, Mufti Aijaz-ul-Hassan Banday, Maulana Sibte Shabbir Qumi, Maulana Waris Bukhari, Qari Muhammad Aslam Raheemi, Maulana Noorani Naqshbandi, Mufti Shareef-ul-Haque Bukhari, Mau-lana MS Rehman Shams and other leading ulema and mashaaikh. Following is the text of the resolution passed in the meeting. 1. This joint meeting of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema Jammu and Kashmir and the Muslim Personal Law Board Jammu and Kashmir was held today under the chairmanship of expresses concern over the current religious and socio religious situation encountering stressful conditions.
2. The solemn meeting of scholars and intellec-tuals condemn the attempt by some so-called scholars and preachers who misuse the sacred pulpit of the mosques by exploiting it for their petty purposes and use social media to incite religious hatred among sects undermining the centuries-old shared harmony and social peace among Kashmiri society. It appeals to all responsible scholars, preachers and imams of mosques and schools of thought to keep an eye on such trouble mongers and their activities, while highlighting the fundamental and significant teachings of Islam through pulpits and social media. Maintaining unity among the ummah is our fundamental duty.
3. MMU is witnessing that there is a deliberate attempt by the Waqf board to centralise all religious institutions, learning centres, Masajid and shrines of IIOJK under its aegis. MMU has received complaints from local masjid committees, shrines and religious learning centres that the Waqf is coercing take-over of these independent institutions in the locality, who understand the needs of their area and have for decades been rendering services that add value to the community living there. MMU urges the Waqf board to desist from pursuing this agenda and instead provide assistance and support to local centres and Masjid committees to let them flourish independently.
4. This meeting also expresses strong resentment against the NIA summons to the revered religious scholar and MMU president Maulana Rehmatullah Mir Qasimi sahab. Such actions are deeply disturb-ing.
5. The meeting while appreciating the efforts to counter social immorality and drug usage in this valley of saints, reiterates its demand for strict action against those involved in these immoral and anti-Muslim activities which are the cause of ruin of societies.
6. MMU raises its voice to once again protest the nearly four-year-long detention of its founder patron Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the continuous impris-onment of other preachers. It calls for the release of all prisoners and detainees including the Mirwaiz so that he can fulfill his religious, milli and official responsibilities towards the people and play a posi-tive role for the reformation and resolution of the problems faced by Kashmiri society as a whole.
7. The meeting expresses deep anguish over ef-forts by some people to establish old age homes here. It is very unfortunate that our society has come to this point where our elderly people have to face such a crisis. In this regard, MMU makes a fervent appeal to scholars, heads of religious and educational institutions, members of civil society, intellectuals, sociologists and conscious people of society to play their role at individual and collective levels, to not allow things to come to this pass and find a way out of it, otherwise, our present and future generations will be lost people.
8. This meeting condoles the death of former president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board Maulana Syed Rabi Hassan Al-Nadvi and the former Secretary of the Board and well-known jurist Advo-cate Zafaryab Jilani and expresses condolence and solidarity with the bereaved families.—KMS
