Declare Ahmadi Sect Non-Muslim: J&K Grand Mufti

Kashmir's mufti azam (grand cleric) Mufti Muhammad Bashir-ud-din has demanded a legislation to declare the Ahmadi sect of Kashmiri Muslims as "non-Muslims". The demand was unanimously made by the Muslim religious leaders of Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Personal Board in a meeting convened and headed by the grand cleric on May 2, 2012.

The grand cleric said that the Islamic Sharia Council had made it clear that in all parts of the world Qadiyanis or Ahmadis were declared non Muslims. "And they should be declared as non-muslims here as well." He added the Ahmadis were already declared as "non-Muslims" in Pakistan during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's tenure as prime minister. “That will address the grievance of all the people in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” he asserted, adding that the move had become imperative in the face of the “believers of Mirzaiat and Qadiyaniat only having increased their activities.”

A handout issued at the end of the meeting adds, “On the issue of increasing activities of the believers of Mirzaiat and Qadiyaniat, the Islamic Sharia Council has made it clear that in all parts of the world Qadiyanis have been declared non Muslims. Hence, Mufti Azam appealed all legislators of Jammu and Kashmir “to pass the bill in coming Assembly session to declare them non Muslims in our state as well so that grievance of all the people of state is addressed.”