Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 13: Authorities have started the process of profiling mosques, madrassas and people associated with their management in Kashmir following the busting of the ‘white collar’ terror module last year, officials said.
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A proforma has been given to village numberdars (village-level Revenue Department employees) for getting the details of mosques, madrassas, imams (prayer leaders), teachers and management committee members of these institutions, the officials said.
The focus of the enumeration drive is on the finances of mosques and madrassas, including the source of funds used for construction and meeting the day-to-day expenses, they said.
The officials said that besides the usual details, the teachers of madrassas and imams are also expected to provide details of their Aadhar card, bank account, property ownership, social media handles, passport, ATM card, ration card, driving licence, SIM cards and mobile phone model along with the IMEI number.
A senior official, who wished not to be named, said that among the objectives of the drive is to create a database of mosques and madrassas and the people associated with these.
“During the investigation into the ‘white collar’ terror module, which was busted in November last year, it came to light that some of the suspects were radicalised through madrassas or social media. The role of some imams like Moulvi Irfan has also put them under the scanner,” the official said.
The proforma also seeks details about the Muslim sect — Barelvi, Deobandi, Hanafi or Ahle Hadeeth — the mosque or the madrassa is following.
The officials said the rise of puritanical Islam, which abhors the Sufi version that is widely followed in Kashmir, is also seen as a factor in radicalisation of the youth in the valley.
The imams, teachers and management committee members have also been asked to provide details of any past involvement in terrorist or subversive activities, including details about any pending cases or convictions by a court of law.
Srinagar Lok Sabha MP, Mehdi, said the profiling of mosques, madrassas and imams by the police in Jammu and Kashmir is an infringement of the religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution.
“There are already so many layers of surveillance, by CID, IB and the paramilitary forces. This intimidation and surveillance is an infringement of the right to practise religion guaranteed by the Constitution,” Mehdi told reporters here.
The MMU, the largest conglomerate of Islamic religious organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, expressed deep concern and raised questions about the ongoing police exercise in the valley seeking “extensive and intrusive information” regarding mosques, their management committees, imams and individuals associated with places of worship and even their family members.
“The MMU has learnt that detailed multi-page forms are being distributed by the police seeking highly personal and sensitive information, including private identification details, family particulars, financial information, phone details, digital and social media profiles, passport details, travel history and even phone IMEI details… Such an unprecedented and invasive data-collection exercise has caused widespread anxiety among religious institutions, imams, Khateebs and the public in general,” the MMU, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said in a statement.
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