dawood_smriti
Junior Member
Asalamalykum.
This is something happening in kashmir.
Mufti Azam vows to resist ‘naked interference’ in religion; Army says ‘no force from our side’
SHOWKAT A MOTTA
Srinagar, May 28: Army has stirred up a major religious controversy by undertaking renovation and reconstruction of many shrines across the Valley, with Kashmir’s Grand Mufti issuing a Fatwa Monday declaring that no donation can be accepted from a non-Muslim for the religious affairs, and urging people to pay Army back the money spent on the constructions.
“The Shariat law does not allow that any person or persons other than Muslim(s) can do such an act,” said Mufti Azam (Grand) Mufti Muhammad Bashir-ud-Din in a statement here.
“Therefore, I in my capacity as Mufti Azam Jammu and Kashmir state declare that this shall be treated as a verdict within the purview of Islamic Shariat: that no person(s), organisation(s) other than Muslim(s) can construct, reconstruct, renovate any mosque or shrine.”
“This action, if done,” he warned, “…shall be construed as a naked interference in the religious affairs of Muslim community.”
Army, under its “Operation Sadhbavana (Goodwill),” has launched a massive exercise to renovate/reconstruct shrines and mosques in many parts of the Valley, mainly in north Kashmir, ostensibly to win the “hearts and minds of Kashmiris.”
So far about Rs 55 lakhs have been spent on construction/renovation of 11 shrines. They include the shrine of Ayatullah Aga Syed Mehdi at Budgam renovated at a cost of Rs 18 lakhs. “We revere the Sufi strain of Islam, especially of the Reshi order in Kashmir,” said Governor SK Sinha, himself a former Army general, while inaugurating the Budgam shrine on May 19.
But Islam forbids its followers, according to the Grand Mufti, from accepting help from non-Muslims for raising a religious place. “There’s a broad consensus (among the Islamic scholars) on the issue,” he told Greater Kashmir on Monday.
“If the Army really wishes to help the people,” the Mufti suggested, “they could build latrines and bridges instead of interfering in our religious affairs.” He also urged the people to pool money spent by the Army so far and pay them back.
Statement of the Mufti, largely seen as an apolitical figure, was however not out of political overtone. “This is not a denying fact that the Army and other security forces have inflicted maximum injury to the Muslim community in the state for the last about two decades. Therefore such steps (the renovation of shrines) by Army and other security agencies are nothing but a conspiracy against (the) Muslim community and shall be resisted with iron hands.”
“I therefore appeal all the Muslims in general and Islami clerics, scholars and imams to resists such plans by the (Army) tooth and nail,” the Mufti said, “the (verdict) has also been endorsed by Muslim Personal Law Board and Nudwat-ul-Ulema, Jammu and Kashmir, in toto.”
Valley’s chief priest and head of a faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has already warned of a statewide agitation if the Army went head with its plan, which he terms as a “direct interference in the religious matters of Kashmiris.”
“Army is the biggest enemy of Kashmiris and they can never become our friends, neither can they win our hearts by expressing false sympathies with us,” the Mirwaiz said at the historic grand mosque last Friday.
The Army exercise, according to the Mirwaiz, was part of a conspiracy hatched to dilute the Kashmiri culture and religion “to wipe out our identity once and for all.”
“Army had launched the campaign, citing humanitarian grounds,” said the Mirwaiz, wondering, “It’s strange that those who unleashed a reign of terror in the Valley since 1989 were talking about humanity.”
Army however rubbishes charges of political ambition behind its campaign. “Indian Army’s a secular force; we only help in renovation of the religious places when there is request from the people,” Army spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur told Greater Kashmir.
“If the people don’t want our help there’s no force from our side,” he added.
This is something happening in kashmir.
Mufti Azam vows to resist ‘naked interference’ in religion; Army says ‘no force from our side’
SHOWKAT A MOTTA
Srinagar, May 28: Army has stirred up a major religious controversy by undertaking renovation and reconstruction of many shrines across the Valley, with Kashmir’s Grand Mufti issuing a Fatwa Monday declaring that no donation can be accepted from a non-Muslim for the religious affairs, and urging people to pay Army back the money spent on the constructions.
“The Shariat law does not allow that any person or persons other than Muslim(s) can do such an act,” said Mufti Azam (Grand) Mufti Muhammad Bashir-ud-Din in a statement here.
“Therefore, I in my capacity as Mufti Azam Jammu and Kashmir state declare that this shall be treated as a verdict within the purview of Islamic Shariat: that no person(s), organisation(s) other than Muslim(s) can construct, reconstruct, renovate any mosque or shrine.”
“This action, if done,” he warned, “…shall be construed as a naked interference in the religious affairs of Muslim community.”
Army, under its “Operation Sadhbavana (Goodwill),” has launched a massive exercise to renovate/reconstruct shrines and mosques in many parts of the Valley, mainly in north Kashmir, ostensibly to win the “hearts and minds of Kashmiris.”
So far about Rs 55 lakhs have been spent on construction/renovation of 11 shrines. They include the shrine of Ayatullah Aga Syed Mehdi at Budgam renovated at a cost of Rs 18 lakhs. “We revere the Sufi strain of Islam, especially of the Reshi order in Kashmir,” said Governor SK Sinha, himself a former Army general, while inaugurating the Budgam shrine on May 19.
But Islam forbids its followers, according to the Grand Mufti, from accepting help from non-Muslims for raising a religious place. “There’s a broad consensus (among the Islamic scholars) on the issue,” he told Greater Kashmir on Monday.
“If the Army really wishes to help the people,” the Mufti suggested, “they could build latrines and bridges instead of interfering in our religious affairs.” He also urged the people to pool money spent by the Army so far and pay them back.
Statement of the Mufti, largely seen as an apolitical figure, was however not out of political overtone. “This is not a denying fact that the Army and other security forces have inflicted maximum injury to the Muslim community in the state for the last about two decades. Therefore such steps (the renovation of shrines) by Army and other security agencies are nothing but a conspiracy against (the) Muslim community and shall be resisted with iron hands.”
“I therefore appeal all the Muslims in general and Islami clerics, scholars and imams to resists such plans by the (Army) tooth and nail,” the Mufti said, “the (verdict) has also been endorsed by Muslim Personal Law Board and Nudwat-ul-Ulema, Jammu and Kashmir, in toto.”
Valley’s chief priest and head of a faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has already warned of a statewide agitation if the Army went head with its plan, which he terms as a “direct interference in the religious matters of Kashmiris.”
“Army is the biggest enemy of Kashmiris and they can never become our friends, neither can they win our hearts by expressing false sympathies with us,” the Mirwaiz said at the historic grand mosque last Friday.
The Army exercise, according to the Mirwaiz, was part of a conspiracy hatched to dilute the Kashmiri culture and religion “to wipe out our identity once and for all.”
“Army had launched the campaign, citing humanitarian grounds,” said the Mirwaiz, wondering, “It’s strange that those who unleashed a reign of terror in the Valley since 1989 were talking about humanity.”
Army however rubbishes charges of political ambition behind its campaign. “Indian Army’s a secular force; we only help in renovation of the religious places when there is request from the people,” Army spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur told Greater Kashmir.
“If the people don’t want our help there’s no force from our side,” he added.