Army versus Clergy

Times Now - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Monday, June 4, 2007

After stiff opposition from Muslim clergies in Jammu and Kashmir, the army stopped reconstruction and renovation of mosques and shrines in the valley.

It has come out in the open, saying if the move to reconstruct and renovate Sufi shrines has hurt the sentiments of the people, it would withdraw from doing so. An issue that had snowballed into a huge controversy, the renovation and reconstruction of Islamic shrines had become a bone of contention between the Army and clergy, with the latter demanding that the men in uniform stop interfering in their religious affairs.

In fact, the grand mufti had issued a fatwa against the army in the valley. The clergy sees the army move as an attempt to thwart the Kashmiri identity and threatened of dire consequences if the army did not withdraw from the reconstruction and renovation of shrines.

Times Now sources say that the army feels the real reason behind the objection is not religious.

The objectors stand to gain if the army is not involved in reconstruction. The army says that all upkeep, renovation etc when conducted through contractors allows for some diversion of funds to extortionists and militants which fuels the militancy.

When the army is spending directly, that does not happen.