Srinagar: Ahead of Ramadan, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been enlisted as a member of the first-ever moon sighting committee led by Grand Mufti Nasir-Ul-Islam to determine the official start date for Ramadan in Jammu and Kashmir.
Confirming his participation in the newly established committee, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq stressed the goal of fostering unity among different schools of thought.
"Our aim is to minimize confusion and convey a clear message of unity," he told The Himalayan Post.
Traditionally, People in Kashmir followed the decisions of the Ruet-e-Hilal committee of Pakistan to keep the fast of Ramadan and celebrate Eid. However, last year, it became a “controversy.”
While Ramadan started in the rest of the country from March 24, most Kashmiris started fasting from March 23, even though Grand Mufti had announced that the Ramadan crescent was not spotted in Kashmir on March 22 and that fasting would begin from March 24.
The grand mufti was trolled badly on social media platforms and was accused of taking directions from the authorities.
Many believe that Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir rely heavily on Pakistan's Ruet-e-Hilal committee due to a perceived lack of local scientific expertise.
It was Jammu and Kashmir’s Wakf Board led by BJP’s Darakshan Andrabi who announced that it was going to constitute its own Ruet-e-Hilal committee and provide it with all the necessary gadgets and expertise to end the ‘confusion over crescent sightings.
Grand Mufti Nasir-Ul-Islam, speaking to The Himalayan Post said there was a need for a dedicated Crescent Sighting Committee following last year's controversies.
“After the last years’ controversy of Crescent Sighting, authorities ordered us to establish a Crescent Sighting Committee for J&K.
“Around 171 Scholars of different Jurisprudence from J&K are incorporated in this committee,” he added.
“To reduce the perplexity among people, I have personally included Mirwaiz Umer Farooq as a committee member,” he stressed.
“Now, I am sure that People of J&K will get a sort of relief from the puzzlement which they face every year over Crescent Sighting,” he further added.
Many believe that this decades-old practice, in which Kashmir observes Ramadan and Eid alongside Pakistan, has become an eyesore for the BJP, and ending this practice would signify another step towards the "integration" of Kashmir. However, many stress that this issue must be viewed geographically rather than politically.