Ulema, scholars, Imams, civil society activists and NGOs today expressed concern over drug abuse by youth in Kashmir and stressed for measures to check the menace.
A seminar was held at historic Mirwaiz Manzil, RajouriKadal, to address alarming concern in society about the growing menace of drugaddiction and also issues related to women in society. The meeting was presidedby Mutahida Ulema council head Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
In a statement issued here, the organisers said the seminarfocused on understanding the reasons and extent of the problem especially withregard to drug abuse in order to find means of addressing it and domesticviolence and inheritance discrimination faced by women.
In his inaugural speech, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that”the prevalence of rampant drug abuse being reported across and valleyamong both boys and girls and its easy availability needs to be addressed byone and all to save our future generations and our society.”
“This is for this reason that the seminar has been called soas to collectively deal with this major problem facing us. It was verydisturbing that despite being a Muslim society and following the great religionof Islam that gives women all dignity and guarantees their rights reports oframpant domestic violence forcing some to take the extreme steps of committingsuicide and other discriminations and abuse against women are happening,” hesaid.
“It was the responsibility of the Ulema, Imams andKhateebs to create awareness among people in this regard both among men andwomen about the rights guaranteed to the women by the great religion of Islamand respect for women,” he said.
Mirwaiz said he was hopeful that Kashmir’s Ulema, Imams,NGOs and Civil Society activists would work together to deal with both theissues to their best.
Speaking on the occasion, Karwan-e-Islami patron GhulamRasool Hami said that “the organization led by him has been raising voiceagainst the growing drug and liquor menace for a long time.”
“It was a matter of great concern that huge quantity ofdrugs and liquor was easily available in the market. It is high time to uniteon our own and to fight it out openly so that the young lot is saved,” Hamisaid.
According to the statement, doctors from drug de-addictioncenter SMHS gave a detailed presentation. Quoting official figures, it said in2018-2019, 6476 cases were registered at the center while as 755 patients wereadmitted in the hospital.
Regarding women’s issues Mantasha Bint-e-Rashid of KashmirWomen’s Collective Initiative (KWCI) gave a detailed presentation highlightingvarious challenges women face on daily basis both at domestic and social level,including domestic violence, divorce refusal to give parental inheritance amongothers, the statement said. She suggested slew of measures to address theissues while seeking active support of the clergy in Kashmir.
Later suggestions given by all members were discussed and adecision to form two panels which included Ulema, Khateebs, civil societyactivists and NGOs, was constitute. The panels would work on both theissues. Mirwaiz advocated the inclusionof a member from Kashmir Women’s Collective Initiative in the panel constitutedto address the issues related to women.
Among others who participated in the seminar included MuftiNazir Ahmed Qasimi of Darul Uloom Rahimiya, Prof Ghulam Muhammad Bhat Al-Madaniof Jamiat-e-Ahlihadith, Mufti Muhammad Yaqoob Baba Al Madani, Moulana MasroorAbass Ansari, Moulana Showkat Hussain Keng, Moulana Khursheed Ahmed Qanoongo, Aga Syed Mujtaba Hassan Al-Mousivi, DrYousuful Umar, Mufti Nisar Ahmed Qasimi, Mufti Sajadur Rehman, Prof Syed TayibKamili, Muhammad Syed Zaroo of HumsafarMarriage Council. The seminar was moderated by Moulana Syedur Rehman Shams.