Kashmir Imams lead charge against drug menace in Friday sermons

In Kashmir’s masjids on Friday, the message was clear, urgent, and unified: drugs are destroying the Valley’s youth, and the community must act now.

As part of the government’s Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan, a large-scale campaign to curb rising substance abuse, religious leaders across the region used the powerful platform of Jumu’ah (Friday prayers) to confront the growing crisis.

From Jamia Masjid to smaller mosques in Anantnag, Bandipora, Kupwara, Baramulla and Shopian, imams devoted significant portions of their sermons to warning against addiction and urging collective responsibility.

The coordinated outreach followed meetings earlier in the week between district administrations and religious scholars, where clerics were encouraged to address the issue directly with congregations. The response was immediate and widespread.

Standing before packed rows of worshippers, imams spoke with urgency, grounding their message in Islamic teachings. They emphasised that all forms of intoxication are strictly prohibited and described drug abuse as a threat not only to individual health but to families, society, and faith itself.

“Addiction is not just a personal failing—it is a social and moral crisis,” one cleric told his congregation. “Our duty is to guide people away from harm and remind them of their responsibility toward their bodies and their community.”

Across the Valley, sermons echoed similar themes: the sanctity of life, the dangers of substance abuse, and the need for early intervention. Religious leaders urged parents to remain vigilant, encouraged youth to resist peer pressure, and called on communities to support those seeking recovery rather than stigmatising them.

The initiative reflects a strategic shift—leveraging mosques as centres of social influence to counter a crisis that has escalated sharply in recent years. With thousands affected, particularly among young people, authorities see faith-based messaging as a critical tool in changing attitudes and behaviours.

Beyond sermons, the broader campaign includes outreach in schools and colleges, awareness drives, and rehabilitation support. But Friday’s unified voice from the pulpits marked a significant moment—bringing the fight against drugs into the heart of community life.

In Kashmir, pertinently, a silent epidemic has taken root. Drug addiction, once a distant whisper, now grips thousands of young lives. Official surveys paint a grim picture: thousands of people in the Kashmir Valley alone are opioid-dependent, with nearly 95% hooked on heroin.

This crisis has not gone unanswered. Under the banner of Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan—the government’s 100-day mass movement for a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir—authorities have turned to the most powerful platform in every Kashmiri village and town.