Irshad Hussain
Amid an alarming increase in the suicide cases in the valley, Sections of Shia-Sunni Ulema are hell-bent upon organising a Munazira (a discussion within religious subjects) in Maloora area of Srinagar.
Social media users, including young Shia Sunni netizens, expressed strong resentment over the Munazira scheduled to be held at Masjid Raheem, Maloora, Srinagar.
Calling for greater unity in Kashmir, the President of the Itehadul-Muslimeen (JKIM), Maulana Masroor Abass Ansari tweeted, “Given the current situation, we need greatest unity as the enemy wants to achieve his nefarious goals by creating discord & infighting among us. In such a situation, any step of religious debate will only incite hatred & animosity & only the agencies can be behind any such debater. ”
The controversy sparked when a local controversial cleric, Numaan Nowsheri, had given an open challenge to the Shia community to debate the authenticity of the faith of the Shia Muslims, which was accepted by Aga Syed Abdullah.
Many religious clerics believe that the only aim of such Munazira is to create a rift between the two communities. The clerics also believe that the difference in opinion has lived for centuries and these differences can never be resolved. “We have learn to live with the differences and respect these differences of opinion. We need to learn to work for the common good, not fight over the differences when we have thousand things in common,” Zahoor Ahmed, a Sunni cleric told The Kashmiriyat.
“Today, it’s dire need for the muslim ummah to maintain brotherhood with each other, and not to declare each other infidels,” a prominent Shia clerk and the President of Anjuman Sharie Shian, Aga Syed Mohammed Hadi, said. “Creating wedge between Shia and Sunni Muslims has always been a strategy of enemies and it has always wounded our hearts,” Hadi added.
Both the Shia and Sunni community have lived in peace and harmony with each other over the years in Kashmir. Other than a handful of people, both the communities have shown respect for the beliefs of each other. Over the years, Sunni and Shia Clerics have led this path of unity from the front. Various Sunni clerics have addressed Muharram processions and their Shia counterparts have participated in annual Milad (birthday of Prophet Muhammad) processions.
The Kashmiriyat contacted Mufti Nasirul Islaam for his opinion, who told us that he was fed up of these people. He said that they were using the Prophet Muhammad Rasool (SAW) as a tool to create wedge among the communities. “Islam doesn’t allow such munaziras. These Munaziras that are aimed to create rift among communities have no space in Islam,” he said.
Kashmir has, for ages, remained an unprecedented example of Shia-Sunni unity. There, also, have been plenty of instances where some factions have spent hefty amount to harm the Shia-Sunni brotherhood in the valley for their own interests.
Earlier this year, during the sacred month of Muharram, Sunni Muslims served Shia mourners during processions in various areas and kept the traditional spirit of brotherhood alive.
Aga Syed Hassan Al Moosvi said to The Kashmiriyat that holding a Munazira in current times doesn’t have any relevance and should not be allowed.
“I request the people of Jammu Kashmir to stay united and say ‘No’ to these Munaziras, which are aimed to stoke sectarian tensions,” Aga said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the concerned police station, Parimpora, Srinagar took timely action against this scheduled Munazira at Maloora, Srinagar which could have possibly created sectarian tension between the two schools of thought.