‘Religious scholars, civil society must play role in providing moral education to youth’

Srinagar, May 6: In the aftermath of murder of a nomadic woman in Nishat area, the Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Nasir-ul-Islam blamed drugs and alcohol for moral degradation of the society.

Addressing a press conference, the Grand Mufti pointed out that the rise in drug abuse and alcohol consumption is linked to such crimes.

“This heinous act has brought shame to everyone, and the whole of Kashmir is in shock. Religious scholars from every sect, including Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Bazam e Ahle Hadith, Anjuman-E-Sharie Shian, and others, reached out to me and expressed their shock and need to take measures in this regard. Our unanimous demand is that there should be a complete ban on alcohol in Kashmir. This is a place of saints and Sufis, and we can’t let its moral fabric degrade,” the Grand Mufti said.

He also said that despite their appeals to every stakeholder to tighten a noose on every kind of drug, “nothing concrete is being done.”

“We want strict action against drug peddlers too. I have time and again appealed to scholars, Khateebs, and Imams to use their pulpit to educate youth about the morals that our Prophet (SAW) taught, but nothing major was done there, either. Rather, social media is being used to bring up sectarian issues,” he said.

“Such heinous crimes will put a question mark on women's safety, and womenfolk will worry about their safety in Kashmir. Government is working towards providing free services to women, but at the same time, we need to work towards their safety,” he added.

He said that the heinous crime against the tribal woman in Nishat again proved “how alcohol can result in unthinkable crimes.” The Grand Mufti expressed his condolences to the bereaved and to the tribal community and said that every Kashmiri stands by them. “I also request the parents, with folded hands, to keep an eye on their children. As a society, we have to come together and identify such anti-social elements so that such people can be dealt with,” he added.

Grand Mufti also applauded the concerned police officers, including the SHO of the concerned Police station, for their swift action in this case. “I am hopeful that the perpetrators will be brought to justice swiftly.”