Kashmir Waqf Board Backtracks on Uniform Friday Sermons After Backlash

On October 13, 2026, the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board proposed introducing uniform Friday sermons across mosques in the region, sparking an immediate political and religious backlash from local leaders who accused the administration of trying to assert control over Muslim religious spaces.

Waqf Board Proposes Uniform Mosque Sermons

The controversy emerged after a meeting held on October 10, 2026, where the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board summoned about 1,500 scholars and preachers. Participants were told a committee would choose topics for the uniform sermons to be uniformly recited at mosque pulpits on Fridays to address social evils like drug abuse. A scholar attending online from the Rajouri district stated that participants who objected were brushed aside and told the decision was final. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X that the move was an unacceptable attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to interfere in religious affairs, demanding that the board chairperson halt the initiative.

Clerical Condemnation and Defense of Pulpit Independence

Kashmir’s head cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema condemned the proposal as direct interference. The religious body stated that determining sermon content belongs to imams and scholars, not state-linked administrative bodies. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also criticized the directive, comparing it to the push for a Uniform Civil Code and stating that Jammu and Kashmir was being used as a laboratory for government policies. Waqf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi defended the initial discussions by emphasizing the need to tackle social issues, telling a leading Indian newspaper that a committee would identify topics without any role for government officials.

Andrabi Retracts Stance on Official Sermon Directions

Following the fierce opposition, Andrabi retracted the stance, stating during an October 13, 2026 press conference that no official directions were passed and that the contents of Friday sermons remain at the discretion of independent scholars and preachers.