Onlykashmir.in News Desk
After a gap of more than two years, authorities granted permission for the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema Jammu and Kashmir (MMU) to convene a major religious conference in Srinagar, with the One-Day Ulema Meet and Seerat Conference held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The gathering drew prominent Ulema and religious scholars from across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Participants came from districts throughout the Valley, while scholars from Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kargil and Doda travelled specially to Srinagar, a turnout that reflected the demand for greater interaction and coordinated action among religious institutions spread across the region. More than 70 Ulema and Mashaikh attended.
The conference concluded with the adoption of two broad resolutions. The first dealt with contemporary social challenges and the practical role of Ulema, mosques and madrasas. The second focused on unity within the Muslim Ummah, sectarian harmony and respect for differences of Maslak.
The first resolution recorded serious concern over drug and substance abuse, emotional distress among young people, irresponsible use of social media, weakening family bonds and the growing disconnect of youth from religious and community institutions. On the question of mental distress, the conference held that condemnation or silence will not address the problem, and that mosques and madrasas can create safe spaces where young people and families are able to speak without fear of stigma about loneliness, anxiety and family pressures. Imams were urged to help families recognise signs of distress, respond with compassion, and guide those in need towards professional counselling and mental health support, while recognising that serious cases require trained professional care.
To move beyond occasional seminars, the conference resolved that on designated Fridays a single common social issue will be taken up in sermons across participating mosques, so that Ulema throughout Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh speak collectively on matters requiring urgent attention. The MMU will also attempt to hold monthly meetings in different districts to understand local concerns and develop responses suited to each area.
On narcotics, the Ulema argued that a campaign against addiction cannot succeed while new liquor licences are issued and alcohol is promoted in the name of tourism. They called upon the government to reconsider this approach and halt further expansion of alcohol availability, describing the two policies as working against each other.
The resolution also asked that Friday sermons address environmental responsibility, including the use of plastic and polythene, the dumping of waste into water bodies, and encroachment on wetlands. Concern was expressed over the condition of Dal, Wular and Nigeen lakes, with the conference holding that conservation of shared natural resources is a moral and religious duty.
The second resolution described the Mimbar of the mosque as an Amanah, a sacred trust, and stated unanimously that it must never be used to promote sectarianism, ridicule another Maslak or deepen divisions among Muslims. The conference acknowledged that differences of interpretation have always existed within the Ummah and will continue to exist, but held that they must never become a source of hatred or hostility. Ulema of all schools were urged to promote the Islamic ethics of disagreement, dialogue and brotherhood.
The MMU said the conference should mark the beginning of a sustained process rather than end with the adoption of resolutions, with the decisions to be translated into grassroots engagement, coordinated sermons, district-level interaction and community awareness programmes across Jammu and Kashmir.
