Preachers in Kashmir Valley have accused the J&K Waqf Board of disallowing any mention of Palestine, which has been witnessing a fierce conflict for the past 24 days, in sermons or duas (special prayers), in an apparent bid to contain any street protests against Israel.
Several preachers, who presided over the religious rites, during the 11-day Urs at the shrine of saint Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani in Srinagar’s Khanyar, told The Hindu that the Palestine issue was not mentioned during sermons or prayers, unlike the instances in the past three decades when Palestine and Israel saw flare ups resulting in civilian deaths.
“There were verbal instructions from the Board to avoid mentioning the Palestine issue during the Urs. Security personnel were also monitoring the sermons being made and had also conveyed against arousing passions over the subject,” two preachers told The Hindu on the condition of anonymity.
