Srinagar, Nov. 5 -- The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a body of Muslim religious organizations in Jammu and Kashmir, today urged the administration to withdraw the directive instructing schools across the region to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram through musical and cultural events, ensuring participation of all students and staff.
The MMU headed by Kashmiri separatist leader and chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed serious concern over the directive issued by the government's Department of Culture.
"Singing or reciting Vande Mataram is un-Islamic, as it contains expressions of devotion that contradict the fundamental Islamic belief in the absolute 'oneness of Allah (Tawheed)'. Islam does not permit any act that ...