"Start With Temples": Mehbooba Mufti Slams Move to 'Profile' Mosques In J&K

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti today called for the profiling of temples and Hindu priests before starting profiling of mosques in Kashmir. Slamming the ongoing profiling of mosques and Imams, the former Chief Minister of J&K said the move reeks of hatred for Muslims and an attempt to create fear psychosis.

"If they have to profile religious places, they should start with temples. The government should profile temples - (see) which temple allows entry of Dalits and which allows Brahmins," said Ms Mufti. 

Mufti, who headed the PDP- BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir till June 2018, alleged that after tweaking the Waqf law, the government is now gunning for mosques and the model will be implemented across India. 

"By such profiling, they are trying to turn mosques into crime scenes.  Can they (government) do it with any other religious places like temples, gurdwara and churches," she said. 

"You should start profiling of temples, where Dalits are not allowed to enter and priests are taking money for allowing entry into temple," Ms Mufti said. 

The police have asked for in-depth information on all mosques and madrasas in Kashmir. According to a detailed questionnaire, each mosque has to disclose details of the sect and the school of thought it is following, credentials of its Imam and preacher and financial details.

Revenue records of the land on which a mosque is built, and also of credentials of the members of the management committee. 
Similarly, all the seminaries and madrasas have also been asked to provide these details. 

Sources in the police say profiling of mosques and imams was started after the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad Wagay, an Imam of a mosque in Srinagar, for his alleged involvement in a white-collar terror module and the Delhi blast case on November 10. Reports said Wagay was a mastermind and radicalised doctors so they turned to terror. 

Earlier, several religious and political leaders in Kashmir strongly reacted to the profiling of mosques and seminaries in an unprecedented data acquisition exercise by police. 

Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah has condemned the move and termed it an attempt to control faith centres. 

"It is an attempt to intimidate Imams and control religious practices. It appears that Imams will be allowed to deliver sermons only after they are vetted by the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS. It is a clear attempt to control the functioning of religion," said Aga Ruhullah, MP Srinagar. 

In a strongly worded statement, Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of Muslim religious organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, termed the move an attempt to control and regulate religious institutions through coercive means and checks.

"Mosques are sacred institutions meant for worship, guidance and community service, and their internal religious affairs cannot be subjected to arbitrary surveillance and intrusive scrutiny. The nature and depth of information being sought goes far beyond any routine administrative requirement, raising serious questions of intent, reflecting an attempt to control and regulate religious institutions through coercive means and checks," the MMU said. 

The amalgam headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq alleged that the exercise is specific only to the Muslim community of Jammu and Kashmir and asked its elected government to intervene. It also urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to withdraw the move. 

"Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema urges the LG authorities to withdraw this exercise without delay, to respect the autonomy of religious institutions, and uphold the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, privacy and the dignity of citizens," it said.

Besides sweeping powers on key administrative matters, law and order has been under the control of the Lt Governor after Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of statehood and reduced to a Union Territory in August 2019.

The religious amalgam said a detailed questionnaire is being distributed by the police seeking personal and sensitive information.

"They are seeking family particulars, financial information, phone details, digital and social-media profiles, passport details, travel history an even IMEI details of cellphones and other personal data of all those connected with running and management of mosques," the religious conglomerate said. 

The religious body has said that the data acquisition process by police has caused widespread anxiety among religious institutions, imams and the people.