Srinagar, Sep 15: The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) Jammu & Kashmir has called for a greater role for Ulema, Imams, mosques and madrasas in tackling the growing drug menace and other social challenges, while urging religious scholars to work towards strengthening unity within the Muslim Ummah.
The call was made at a One-Day Ulema Meet and Seerat Conference held in Srinagar on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The conference, held after a gap of more than two years following permission from the authorities, was attended by more than 70 Ulema and Mashaikh from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The participants adopted two resolutions, with one focusing on contemporary social challenges and the role of religious institutions, and the other on unity among Muslims, sectarian harmony and respect for differences of Maslak.
Ulema asked to intensify fight against drug abuse
The conference expressed serious concern over drug and substance abuse, particularly among young people, and stressed that Ulema and religious institutions must move beyond occasional sermons and seminars to sustained community-level engagement.
The Ulema called for a coordinated campaign through mosques and madrasas to raise awareness about the harmful consequences of addiction and help families and young people deal with the problem.
The conference resolved that designated Friday sermons would focus on a common social issue, including drug addiction, across participating mosques. The initiative is aimed at enabling Ulema across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to collectively highlight issues requiring urgent societal attention.
The participants also stressed that mosques and madrasas could serve as centres of guidance, counselling, youth engagement and family support, given their close connection with local communities.
The conference called for a consistent approach towards addiction and expressed concern over the simultaneous normalisation and increasing availability of alcohol.
The Ulema argued that efforts to combat narcotics and substance abuse could be undermined if new liquor licences are issued and alcohol availability is expanded in the name of tourism. They called upon the government to reconsider such policies and stop further promotion and expansion of alcohol availability.
The resolution also highlighted the need to address related concerns, including suicide and self-harm, mental and emotional distress among youth, irresponsible use of social media and weakening family bonds.
Ulema and Imams were urged to sensitise communities to signs of emotional distress and encourage families to respond with compassion. Those requiring help, the conference said, should be guided towards appropriate professional counselling and mental-health support.
Call for unity among Muslim Ummah
The second resolution focused on unity within the Muslim Ummah and called upon Ulema to ensure that differences of Maslak do not become a source of hatred or division.
The conference acknowledged the existence of different schools of thought and legitimate religious differences but stressed that these should be addressed through mutual respect, dialogue and Islamic ethics of disagreement.
The participants unanimously emphasised that the Mimbar of the mosque is an Amanah, or sacred trust, and should not be used to promote sectarianism, ridicule another Maslak, spread hatred or deepen divisions among Muslims.
Ulema belonging to different schools of thought were urged to promote brotherhood and focus religious discourse on shared moral, spiritual and social responsibilities.
The conference also stressed the need for greater interaction among Ulema from different regions and schools of thought.
As part of this effort, the MMU plans to hold regular, preferably monthly, meetings in different districts and areas of Jammu and Kashmir involving local Ulema, Imams, mosques and madrasas.
The proposed district-level engagement is intended to strengthen communication among religious scholars, identify local challenges and develop coordinated responses.
The MMU said the Srinagar conference should mark the beginning of a sustained grassroots process rather than remain limited to the adoption of resolutions.
The organisation said its proposed initiatives would include coordinated Friday sermons, district-level meetings, counselling and community awareness programmes aimed at addressing social challenges and strengthening cooperation among religious institutions.
Ulema from different districts of Kashmir, besides Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kargil and Doda, participated in the conference.
Among those who attended were Moulana Rehmat-ullah Mir Qasmi, Mufti Azam Nasir ul Islam Farooqi, Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi, Mufti Mohammad Yaqoob Baba Madani, Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari, Moulana Showkat Hussain Keng, Mufti Enayat Ullah Jammu, Sheikh Mehboob Ali Wajdani, Mufti Abdul Rashid Miftahi, Pir Rehmatullah Sahib, Moulana Syed Tayyub, Mufti Syed Sharief Ul Haq Bukhari, Mufti Ajaz ul Hassan Banday, Mufti Zia ul Haq Nazmi, Mufti Pirzada Reyaz Ahmad, Moulana Adnan Nadwi, Sibt Mohammad Shabir Qumi, Moulana Ghulam Rasool Noori, Moulana Ali Akbar, Moulana Syed Shah Waris Shah Bukhari and Pir Iftikhar Ahmad Kamli, among others.
