UNI

Srinagar, May 29: The Army's plan to reconstruct and renovate mosques and shrines in Jammu and Kashmir under its "Operation Sadhbhavna" has triggered a new religious controversy in the state with the official Grand Mufti today issuing a "fatwa (decree)", calling upon the Muslims to resist the move "tooth and nail".

However, the Army said it has no "extra agenda or well-planned project to please" members of a particular religion.

In the fatwa, the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Bashir-ud-din, declared that no donation should be accepted from a non-Muslim, whether in civvies or uniform, for construction or renovation of shrines and mosques in the state.

The decree also asked the people to return the money spent by the Army on the construction and renovation of religious institutions.

""It has come to my notice that the Army and other security forces located in Jammu and Kashmir are planning to renovate, reconstruct and construct mosques and shrines under the garb of Operation Sadbhavana,"" the Grand Mufti said in the decree.

He said the "Shari'at (Islamic Law)" does not allow any person other than a Muslim to carry out such acts.

"This action, if done, would be contrary to the tenets of Islam and construed as naked interference in the religious affairs of the Muslims," the Mufti said.

"In my capacity as the Mufti Azam (Grand Mufti) of Jammu and Kashmir, I declare that this should be treated as verdict within the purview of Islamic Shari'at that no person or organisation other than an Islamic one can construct, reconstruct, renovate any Mosque or shrine. If done so, the move will be treated as undue interference in our religious affairs. I, therefore, appeal to all the Muslims in general and Islamic clerics, scholars and Imams (priests) in particular to resist such plans tooth and nail," the Grand Mufti said in the fatwa.

He said the decree, issued by the office of Supreme Court of Islamic Shariat (Central Dar-ul-Fatwa) Jammu and Kashmir, has been endorsed by the Muslim Personal Law Board and the Nadwat-ul-Ulema.

"There is no denying that the Army and other security forces have inflicted maximum injury to the Muslim community in the state for the past about two decades. Therefore, such steps (renovation of shrines and mosques) by the Army and other security agencies are nothing but a conspiracy against the Muslim community and should be resisted with iron hands," the Grand Mufti said.

Addressing a congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid here on Friday last, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the Army"s plan to renovate and give a facelift to mosques and shrines in Jammu and Kashmir was "direct interference in religious affairs of the Muslims." He threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the Army went ahead and did not shelve off the plan immediately.

"Renovation of mosques and shrines is a direct interference by the Army in our religious matters. We will not tolerate it," said the Mirwaiz, who is also the chief priest of Kashmir.

"The Army is the biggest enemy of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They (armed forces) can never become our friends, neither can they win our hearts by expressing false sympathies with us. The Army exercise is part of a conspiracy hatched to dilute the culture and religion to wipe out our identity once and for all. The Army had launched the campaign, citing humanitarian grounds. It is strange that those who unleashed a reign of terror in the Kashmir valley since 1989 were talking about humanity," Mirwaiz said.

The Army, under its "Operation Sadhbavana (Goodwill)", has launched a massive exercise to renovate and reconstruct Muslim shrines and mosques across the state to win the "hearts and minds of the people."

So far, about Rs 55 lakh have been spent on construction and renovation of eleven shrines, including that of Ayatollah Aga Syed Mehdi at Budgam, in the Kashmir valley. This shrine was renovated at a cost of Rs 18 lakh.

Defence spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur told sources that the Army has no "extra agenda or well-planned project to please" members of a particular religion by such steps.

"The Indian Army is a secular force. Keeping in with its secular traditions, the Army provides help in renovation and reconstruction of religious places whenever there is a request from the management and the people. If the people do not want our help, there is no force from our side," he added.

Col Mathur said the Army carried out its goodwill projects only on the request of the people. "We undertook reconstruction and renovation of a particular shrine only after the management had requested us in this regard," he added.