Ishfaq gulzar cniSrinagar, (CNI NEWS): The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema Jammu & Kashmir (MMU) on Tuesday held a One-Day Ulema Meet and Seerat Conference in Srinagar under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, with more than 70 Ulema and Mashaikh

participating in the deliberations on religious, moral and societal challenges.As per news agency CNI NEWS the conference was held after a gap of more than two years following permission granted by the authorities, and brought together religious scholars from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.Ulema from Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kargil and Doda also travelled to Srinagar to participate in the conference, highlighting the need for greater interaction and coordinated action among religious scholars and institutions across the region.The conference concluded with the adoption of two broad resolutions, one

focusing on contemporary social challenges and the practical role of Ulema, mosques and madrasas, and the other on unity within the Muslim Ummah, sectarian harmony and respect for differences of Maslak.The first resolution expressed concern over drug and substance abuse, suicide and self-harm, mental and emotional distress among youth, irresponsible use of social media, weakening family bonds, moral decline and the increasing disconnect of young people from religious and community institutions.Concern was also expressed over environmental degradation and its consequences. The conference stressed that Ulema, mosques and madrasas can play an important role in creating awareness and encouraging responsible behaviour towards the environment.On suicide and self-harm, the conference stressed the need for compassionate support and safe spaces where young people and families can speak about emotional distress, loneliness, anxiety and family pressures without fear of stigma.It was emphasised that Imams and Ulema should sensitise communities about recognising signs of distress, encourage families to respond with compassion and guide those in need towards appropriate professional

counselling and mental-health support.The conference resolved that these issues should not remain confined to occasional seminars or speeches. It was decided that on designated Fridays, one common social issue would be taken up in Friday sermons across participating mosques to highlight issues requiring urgent societal attention and reform.The MMU will also endeavour to hold regular meetings, preferably every month, in different districts and areas of Jammu and Kashmir involving local Ulema, Imams, mosques and madrasas.The conference underlined that mosques and madrasas should increasingly serve as centres of guidance, counselling, youth engagement, family support and community welfare alongside their religious and educational responsibilities.On drug addiction, the conference stressed that all forms of addiction are harmful and expressed concern over the increasing availability of alcohol.

The Ulema said campaigns against drug addiction could be undermined by policies involving the issuance of new liquor licences and expansion of alcohol availability in the name of tourism. The conference called upon the government to reconsider the approach and stop further promotion and expansion of alcohol availability.The conference also recommended that Friday sermons and mosque-based programmes sensitise people about their responsibility towards the environment, including discouraging the use of plastic and polythene, littering and dumping waste into rivers, lakes and other water bodies.Concern was expressed over the condition, encroachments and protection of

Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Nigeen Lake, wetlands and other water bodies. The conference stressed that cleanliness, conservation of nature and protection of shared natural resources are also a moral and religious responsibility.The second resolution focused on unity within the Muslim Ummah and the responsibility of Ulema in maintaining mutual respect despite differences of Maslak and interpretation.The conference acknowledged that different schools of thought and legitimate religious differences have existed within the Ummah, stressing that such differences must not become a source of hatred, hostility or division.The Ulema emphasised that the Mimbar of the mosque is an Amanah—a

sacred trust—and must not be used to promote sectarianism, ridicule another Maslak, spread hatred or deepen divisions among Muslims.The conference called upon Ulema of different schools of thought to promote mutual respect, dialogue and brotherhood and focus religious discourse on the wider moral, spiritual and social responsibilities shared by Muslims.The participants also stressed the need for greater interaction among Ulema from different regions and schools of thought to strengthen communication, mutual understanding and cooperation.The MMU said the conference should mark the beginning of a sustained process and not end with the adoption of resolutions, with efforts to translate the decisions into grassroots engagement, coordinated Friday sermons, district-level interaction, counselling and community awareness programmes.Prominent among those who attended were Moulana Rehmat-ullah Mir Qasmi, Mufti Azam Nasir ul Islam Farooqi, Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi, Mufti Mohammad Yaqoob Baba Madani, Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari,

Moulana Showkat Hussain Keng, Mufti Enayat Ullah Jammu, Sheikh Mehboob Ali Wajdani, Kargil, Mufti Abdul Rashid Miftahi, Pir Rehmatullah Sahib, Moulana Syed Tayyub, Mufti Syed Sharief Ul Haq Bukhari, Mufti Ajaz ul Hassan Banday, Mufti Zia ul Haq Nazmi, Mufti Pirzada Reyaz Ahmad, Moulana Adnan Nadwi, Sibt Mohammad Shabir Qumi, Moulana Ghulam Rasool Noori, Moulana Ali Akbar, Moulana Syed Shah Waris Shah Bukhari and Pir Iftikhar Ahmad Kamli, among others. CNI NEWS