Row over conversion: ‘debarred’ head priest of Hazratbal shrine seeks L-G govt.’s intervention

Kamal-ud-Din Farooqui, lmam-o-Khateeb or head priest of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, on July 2 sought the intervention of the Lieutenant Governor’s (L-G) administration to end his debarment from the shrine.

Mr. Farooqui was suspended by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board in April this year after a non-local Hindu converted to Islam at the shrine. The ceremony was presided over by Mr. Farooqui and the Board, headed by BJP leader Darakshan Andrabi, accused him of “forcible conversion”.

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“We seek the government’s intervention. This is a matter of religious delicacy and sentiment. The Waqf Board has no mandate to interfere with personal faith and religious practices. The Indian Constitution according to Article 25 gives religious freedom to practice, profess, and propagate any religion,” Mr. Farooqui said.

‘Remained apolitical’

He said the family of Farooquis, caretakers of the shrine for many centuries, “always remained apolitical”. “By virtue of a notice by the Board, I was debarred from leading the prayers as lmam-o-Khateeb at the Hazratbal Shrine. Three months have elapsed and my restoration has not been ordered by the Board so far,” Mr. Farooqui said.

Recalling the incident, Mr. Farooqui said the person, a resident of Haryana, who converted to Islam, approached him and decided to change his faith “out of his own free will and consent”. 

“The Board employees along with the administrator, police personnel, naib imam [deputy priest], Muazin [who proclaims the prayer call] and mujavirs [caretakers of the shrine] were on the spot standing alongside of a local and the person who intended to convert,” Mr. Farooqui said.

The Board had constituted a three-member committee to investigate into this matter of conversion. “I have since deposed before the committee and have furnished them the details about this conversion in writing. Prior to this, police summoned me to their station for questioning which lasted for nearly three-and-a-half hours,” he said.

He said the Farooquis in the last 35 years had always emphasised on religious harmony, fraternity and peace.