Chhattisgarh Waqf Board to review Friday sermons to prevent political speeches in mosques
The board’s chairman, who also heads the BJP’s minority affairs wing in the state, said that masjids should focus solely on Islamic teachings.
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The Chhattisgarh Waqf Board has made it compulsory for all Friday sermons delivered at mosques in the state to be vetted beforehand, to prevent political speeches being made under the guise of worship, reported The Indian Express reported on Monday.
Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Salim Raj said that mosque sermons should focus solely on Islamic teachings and avoid political content.
The decision came after the board received reports of “anti-government” speeches being made in some mosques in the state, the newspaper reported quoting unidentified persons.
Chhattisgarh is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Raj, who is also the head of the Hindutva party’s minority affairs wing in the state, told The Indian Express that a mosque “shouldn’t be turned into a political adda [place]”.
“It’s unfortunate that the place is used to issue fatwas [Islamic rulings] and decide who to vote and whom not to vote…They must talk about Islam, what it says and the message of Allah,” he said. “Politics must be left for politicians.”
Raj announced that the board would send letters detailing the new rules to the state’s 3,800 mosques. “The order will be effective this Friday,” he said.
The directive has faced criticism from Opposition parties, including the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and the Congress.
“The waqf board of the BJP government of Chhattisgarh wants that...
