MMU expresses deep concern over govt directive enforcing Vande Mataram in schools

Urges immediate withdrawal of order, says it’s against Islamic beliefs

SRINAGAR: Senior religious leaders of Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) — the amalgam of all Muslim religious organizations of Jammu and Kashmir, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, its patron, Mufti Nasirul Islam, Rahmatullah (names), and others — have expressed serious concern over the recent directive issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s Department of Culture.

The directive instructs schools across the region to commemorate the 150th year of Vande Mataram through organized musical and cultural programs, ensuring the participation of all students and staff, the MMU said in a statement issued here.

“Singing or reciting Vande Mataram is un-Islamic, as it contains expressions of devotion that contradict the fundamental