Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have begun distributing a four-page form titled “profiling of mosques,” requesting extensive details about mosques and their staff. The form seeks information on sect affiliation, funding sources, land ownership, and personal data such as mobile numbers, bank accounts, and relatives abroad. Similar forms have been sent to religious schools, prompting fears among residents that the exercise represents increased surveillance and state control over Muslim institutions.
The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, Kashmir’s largest Islamic religious body, condemned the move as an intrusion into sacred spaces and a violation of religious freedom. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the National Conference party also criticized the profiling as discriminatory and fear-inducing. Police actions come amid heightened central control following the 2019 revocation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its autonomy. The BJP defended the initiative, citing the need for transparency and security, arguing that mosques had previously been used for political mobilization.
Analysts and local clerics warned that the profiling could erode trust and deepen community tensions, with some fearing further restrictions on religious practices in the region.
Share Mohammad Nawaz Khan regrets the day his father, Sanaullah Khan, a retired government employee, agreed to head the managing committee of the neighbourhood mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar. Khan’s worries began earlie
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