| Fatwa, Friday sermons, social boycott: Kashmir’s religious leaders join war against drugs | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 9: In a powerful and unprecedented development in the ongoing battle against drug addiction, religious leaders across the Kashmir Valley have joined the government’s 100-day anti-drug campaign, declaring narcotics and the money earned from their trade as strictly “haram” under Islamic law.
Leading this moral offensive, Jammu and Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam has issued a formal fatwa stating that all proceeds from drug trafficking are forbidden in Islam. The ruling makes it clear that mosques, shrines, and religious institutions must not accept donations from individuals involved in the drug trade, and that such money cannot be used for charitable works, repayment of debts, or any religious purpose.
The Grand Mufti also called for a complete social boycott of drug peddlers, describing them as enemies of society and humanity. In a strongly worded statement, he said no one inflicts greater harm on society than those who destroy the lives of young people through narcotics. He stressed that drug traffickers should be shown no leniency unless they sincerely repent and publicly seek forgiveness.
The intervention of the Valley’s top religious authority has added a powerful moral and spiritual dimension to the Union Territory’s ongoing “Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir” campaign launched by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Officials and social activists believe that the involvement of imams and clerics could significantly strengthen efforts to curb addiction, particularly among the youth.
For the first time, imams leading Friday prayers in mosques across the Valley are using sermons to speak openly about the dangers of drug abuse and the devastating impact it is having on families and communities.
In Sopore, the Jamiat-e-Aima Masjid Sopore has launched a coordinated awareness campaign aimed at reaching families directly through mosque platforms.
Maulana Riyaz Ahmad said the issue can no longer be ignored. “Several generations have already suffered because of conflict. First terrorism devastated our youth, and now drugs are destroying them. We cannot afford to lose another generation,” he said, adding that religious leaders are not replacing the administration but reinforcing its efforts with moral influence.
In Baramulla, religious leaders said mosques must serve as centres of social guidance as well as worship. “For years, we only led prayers. Today, we must also warn our people. The needle of drugs is as dangerous as a bullet,” they remarked.
Earlier this month, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also described the fight against drug abuse as one of the most urgent challenges facing society and called for collective action to protect every precious human life.
Community leaders say the active participation of religious institutions has transformed the anti-drug movement. While police, doctors, and administrators speak to the mind, they note that the voice of an imam reaches the heart and conscience of society.
The government’s campaign has already mobilised unprecedented public participation. According to official figures, more than 51 lakh people have taken part in over 50,000 awareness programmes across Jammu and Kashmir in the past three weeks. More than 1,500 youth clubs have been activated, and hundreds of anti-drug sermons have been delivered in mosques and other religious institutions.
With the moral authority of the pulpit now aligned with administrative and law-enforcement efforts, the campaign against narcotics is gathering extraordinary momentum, offering renewed hope that Jammu and Kashmir can protect its youth from the growing menace of drug addiction. |
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