Mehbooba Mufti Slams Mosque Profiling in Kashmir
Mehbooba Mufti Slams Mosque Profiling in Kashmir
Mehbooba Mufti denounces police profiling of mosques in Kashmir, calling it interference in faith and urging equal scrutiny of temples.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti slammed the move to profile mosques in Kashmir, calling it interference in religious affairs and an attempt to divest Muslims of their faith.
Forms distributed among Valley mosques seek extensive personal data about those connected with running and managing mosques, including family details, financial information, phone numbers, digital and social media profiles, passport details, travel history and even phone IMEI numbers.
She questioned why mosques were singled out and asked, 'Why not profile temples on the basis of caste? Will temples, gurudwaras, or churches face the same?' She warned that profiling mosques, which started in J&K, could spread across the country.
An NC leader, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, said the ongoing verification was unwarranted and that the order had not been issued by the elected government; he stressed that the J&K police function under the Lieutenant Governor’s office and only the LG could explain the purpose behind the move.
Muslim bodies in the Valley expressed concern over the move, while Mufti's comments sparked a broader debate about religion, governance and civil rights.
