MMU urges scholars to avoid incitement, preserve sectarian harmony in Kashmir

SRINAGAR — The Muttahida Majlise-e-Ulama (MMU) Jammu and Kashmir expressed its firm resolve to disallow any attempts to spread sectarian discord in Kashmir and harm to the region’s traditional sectarian harmony.

The Majlis earnestly appealed to scholars, masjid imams and those active on social media, belonging to various schools of thought and sects that while each is free to follow its own practices, they should absolutely refrain from targeting the beliefs of other sects in their lectures, sermons, addresses or discussions on social media or any other platform, thereby causing conflict.

In a special meeting presided over by the MMU patron Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq and attended by Maulana Rahmatullah Mir al-Qasimi, Agha Syed Hassan al-Moosvi al-Safawi, Grand Mufti of Kashmir Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqi, Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari, Dr Abdul Latif al-Kindi, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, Agha Syed Mohammad Hadi al-Moosvi, and Maulana Shaukat Hussain Keng and M.S. Rehman Shams, the Majlis issued this statement.

The meeting emphasised that the issues and challenges faced by the Muslim community at various levels can only be overcome by uniting under the banner of Tawheed (monotheism).

The statement condemned recent efforts by certain groups to incite sectarian discord, calling these actions regretful and reprehensible.

The ulemas present stressed that the religious personalities of Islam should be respected by all and since all Muslims share the common religion and its goals, it is detrimental to the entire Ummah when minor differences are made into contentious matters by some to advance narrow sectarian objectives at the expense of the broader interests of the Muslim community in Kashmir.

The Majlis made it clear that it will not tolerate provocations, sectarian discord or the denigration of each other’s beliefs. As a responsible and robust forum of the Muslims of J&K, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama will confront these elements with full force and hold them accountable in the public domain.

The statement also said that the MMU called upon all members of the Kashmiri Muslim community, civil society, and media to play their part as responsible citizens in maintaining communal cohesion in such times.

On this occasion, a decision was also taken to broaden the forum and further strengthen it by including more religious organisations and leading scholars from all over Jammu and Kashmir in the Majlis in the cause of inter-Muslim unity.