Seminar on Drug Abuse and Women Issues held at Mirwaiz Manzil

Srinagar, Jul 10 (Only Kashmir): To address the alarming concern in society about the growing menace of drug addiction in the Valley and also issues related to women in society a one-day seminar of Ulema, scholars, Imams, civil society activists, journalists and NGOs was held at historic Mirwaiz Manzil, Srinagar. The seminar was presided by Mutahida Ulema council head Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The seminar focused on understanding the reasons and extent of the problem especially with regard to drug abuse in order to find ways and means of addressing it and domestic violence and inheritance discrimination faced by women.
In his inaugural speech, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the prevalence of rampant drug abuse being reported across and valley among both boys and girls and its easy availability needs to be addressed by one and all to save our future generations and our society. He said that it is for this reason that the seminar has been called so as to collectively deal with this major problem facing us. Mirwaiz said that it was very disturbing that despite being a Muslim society and following the great religion of Islam that gives women all dignity and guarantees their rights reports of rampant domestic violence forcing some to take the extreme steps of committing suicide and other discriminations and abuse against women are happening. Mirwaiz stressed that it was the responsibility of the Ulema, Imams and Khateebs to create awareness among people in this regard both among men and women about the rights guaranteed to the women by the great religion of Islam and respect for women.
Mirwaiz said he was hopeful that Kashmir’s Ulema, Imams, NGOs and Civil Society activists would work together to deal with both the issues to their best.
Speaking on the occasion, Karwan-e-Islami patron Ghulam Rasool Hami said that the organization led by him has been raising voice against the growing drug and liquor menace for a long time. government, Hami said that it was a matter of great concern that huge quantity of drugs and liquor was easily available in the market while as drugs like Heroin was just a phone call away from the addict and the government was aware of it .He said relying on the government to root out the menace of drug abuse won’t suffice and that it is high time to unite on our own and to fight it out openly so that the young lot is saved.
Doctors from drug de-addiction center SMHS gave a detailed presentation, quoting official figures in the year 2018-2019, at the SMHS drug –de-addiction center, 6476 cases were registered while as 755 patients were admitted in the hospital. Official figures had revealed that over 46000 patients were alone treated at the SMHS hospital for being addicted one or the other drug in 2018 and in the ensuing year, more than 12000 in the Out Door Patients Department (OPD). While as 88 percent of the drug addicts treated at SMHS hospital were found as males, what was more shocking that 12 percent were females that include school and college going girls and also the women with some domestic disputes.
Regarding women’s issues  Mantasha Bint Rashid of Kashmir Women’s Collective initiative (KWCI) gave a detailed presentation highlighting various challenges women face on daily basis both at domestic and social level, including domestic violence, desertions divorce refusal to give parental inheritance among others. She suggested a series of measures to address the issues while seeking active support of the clergy in Kashmir.
Later suggestions given by all members were discussed and a decision to form two panels which included Ulemas, Khateebs civil Society activists and NGOs, was made that would work on both the issues.
Mirwaiz advocated the inclusion of a member from Kashmir Women’s Collective Initiative in the panel constituted to address the issues related to women.
Those who participated in the seminar included Mufti Nazir Ahmed Qasimi of Darul Uloom Rahimiya, Professor Ghulam Muhammad Bhat Al-Madani of Jamiat-e-Ahlihadith, who also spoke over the issues in detail. Mufti Muhammad Yaqoob Baba Al Madani, Moulana Masroor Abas Ansari, Moulana Showkat Hussain Keng, Moulana Khursheed Ahmed Qanoongo, Aga Syed Mujtaba Hassan Al-Mousivi, Dr Yousuful Umar, Mufti Nisar Ahmed Qasimi,Mufti Sajadur Rehman, Professor Syed Tayib Kamili, Muhammad Syed Zaroo of Humsafar Marriage Council, Peerzada Abdul Hameed, Muhammad Rafiq Shah, Muhammad Yousuf Makhdoomi, Syed Bashrat Ahmed Andrabi, Azad Bashir, Ghulam Muhammad Nagoo, Dr Saleem Yousuf, Javaid Jeelani, Hayat Ahmed Bhat, Muhammad Yasin Bhat, Fouqul Amin Bhat, Khuram Wani, Advocate Syed Mujtaba, Mir Imran, Bilal Bashir Bhat, Sibt Muhammad Shabir Qami, Muhamamd Yaqoob Khan, Junaid Kathju, Manzoor Ahmed, Muhamamd Tajamul Qadiri, Mufti Ghulam Rasool Samoon, Mantasha Bint-e-Rashid, Saba, Rifat, Sabreen and many others.
The seminar was moderated by Moulana Syedur Rehman Shams.