Pre-Recorded Video Clip On Shawal Moon Sighting Goes Viral, Mufti Seeks Police Action Against ‘Miscreant’
Srinagar- Kashmir Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam on Wednesday found himself in the middle of another controversy after a video-clip purportedly showing him making an announcement about the sighting of ‘Shawal moon’ went viral on social-media platforms.
The 1.21 minute video-clip has been allegedly leaked by some “miscreant” believed to have accompanied a group of media persons from government-run Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar.
The video went viral on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter drawing mixed reactions from the netizens.
The Grand Mufti shortly wrote to Cyber police to identify the person for action against the “miscreant”, making an attempt to breach the law and order situation.
“The undersigned today was busy with Doordarshan Kendra in connection with Pre-recording positive/ negative announcements regarding the sighting of Eid,” reads the complaint.
It further reads that “Some miscreant present in the office used his Cellphone and recorded the statement in order to create confusion among the general Public. It is requested to kindly identify the person and take appropriate action against such person for breach of trust and creating Law & order problem,”
It may be noted that on March 22, the Grand Mufti announced that the first ‘roza (fast)’ of Ramazan will be observed on March 24 as he had not received any evidence of the sighting of the crescent moon from any part of J&K. However a late night announcement from the neighbouring country that the Ramazan moon has been sighted put Mufti in quandary.
A week later, the Grand Mufti called a meeting of top clergy of the valley at his residence and declared that the 27th night (Shab-e-Qadr) will be observed on the 17th of April. The meeting, according to him, was convened in order to dispel doubts that had created an atmosphere of discord among Muslim community.
Many of the netizens, in knowhow of the things, somehow justified the recording of video-clip, saying it was part of the practice to pre-record both the versions, one affirming and another negating the sighting of the moon. The video-clip however created much confusion as the ‘miscreant’ had only posted the negating version of the statement.
Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said that the recording of the video-clips was part of the practice to avoid last minute rush, at the time when the announcement is usually made.
“I was approached by some media persons of Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar to pre-record the video-clips”, Islam said, adding they Doordarshan people can’t make it to me at the time of actual announcement, due to their busy schedule.
“While the recording was going on in presence of over ten people, some miscreant has recorded one version of my statement and posted it on social-media platforms in an attempt to create confusion”, he said
“If at all the video-clip in circulation makes it to the social media, I ask the people not to consider it until there is any announcement from any credible media organization,” he added.
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