Hurriyat opposes Chhattisgarh’s directive to mosques
Raipur | Correspondent: All Party Hurriyat Chairman and 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir Umar Farooq condemned the directives of Chhattisgarh Waqf Board directing to seek official permission for their Friday Sermons.
All Party Hurriyat Conference of Kashmir jumped into the matter of taking permission from the Waqf Board for religious sermons in mosques of Chhattisgarh.
Farooq stated it as a direct attack on religious rights and freedom.
Expressing his discontent, he wrote on X, “The move by a BJP-ruled state asking mutawallis to seek consent from the state-appointed Waqf head before Friday sermons is a direct attack on the religious rights and freedom of the Muslim community, besides being beyond the jurisdiction of any Waqf Board. It exposes the real motive behind the Waqf Amendment Bill brought in the parliament by BJP. State control of religious rights and affairs is completely unacceptable and will be strongly opposed by Muslims.”
He further extended his support to Asaduddin Owaisi’s efforts in this matter and also sought support from others.
Owaisi slams Waqf Board directives
In Chhattisgarh, a directive was issued to all the Mutawallis by the Waqf Board to seek approval about the Friday sermons checked before delivering during the Namaz.
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen Leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi also objected this.
“The Waqf Board of the BJP government of Chhattisgarh wants that before delivering the Friday sermon, the Khatib should get his sermon checked by the Waqf Board and should not deliver the sermon without the permission of the Board. Now the BJP people will tell us what is Deen? Now do we have to take permission from them to follow our Deen? The Waqf Board does not have any such legal power, even if it had, it would still be against Article 25 of the Constitution”, Hyderabad MP Owaisi wrote on X.
छत्तीसगढ़ की भाजपा सरकार का वक़्फ़ बोर्ड चाहता है के जुम्माह का खुतबा देने से पहले खतीब अपने खुतबे की जाँच वक़्फ़ बोर्ड से करवायें और बोर्ड की इजाज़त के बिना खुतबा ना दें।अब भाजपाई हमें बतायेंगे के दीन क्या है? अब अपने दीन पर चलने के लिए इनसे इजाज़त लेनी होगी? वक़्फ़ बोर्ड के पास… pic.twitter.com/fTDL6TZudI
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) November 17, 2024
Chhattisgarh state’s Waqf Board has issued a mandate to all the mosque’s mutawallis to seek consent about subject matters delivered in the Friday sermons.
According to Chhattisgarh Waqf board Chairman Salim Raj, the speeches given before Friday prayers (Jumma Namaaz) should stay focused on religion and avoid any political agenda.
He mentioned that mosques should not issue fatwas or support political parties, as their role is to remain a place for religious activities.
To ensure this, he instructed all Mutawallis to share the content of their sermons with the Waqf Board and get approval.
He also clarified that mosques and dargahs fall under the authority of the Waqf Board.