Srinagar, Aug 8 Senior religious and separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Friday, expressed shock over the rotten meat scandal unearthed in Kashmir and demanded accountability and ethical introspection.
Delivering his Friday sermon at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar, Mirwaiz expressed shock and anguish over the recent revelations that more than 3,500 kg of rotten, unlabelled, and possibly unlawful meat was seized by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) from various locations in Kashmir.
He said that feeding people 'haram' or harmful food is 'Zulm' (grave injustice).
Such actions are a betrayal of public trust and a violation of divine commandments, societal contract, and law, he added.
Those involved must be held fully accountable and strictly penalised and punished as per law without delay, Mirwaiz said.
"This incident has deeply shaken the trust of people. It is shocking that such large-scale malpractice was allowed to go on and unchecked for so long, raising serious questions about the role of regulatory authorities. Where was the administration all this time? How could this go unnoticed?"
"We do not know for how long this has been going on, but its scale and extent suggest a deep and disturbing failure of oversight," he added.
He said the state government must act with urgency and firmness and that no packed meat should be allowed in the markets without clear and mandatory labelling, verified cold storage details and halal certification.
Mirwaiz added that there are growing concerns within the community about the actual nature of the seized meat with doubts being raised whether it was even from permissible animals or worse, carrion, which is strictly prohibited in Islam.
"These are not merely health violations; they are violations of our religious boundaries and our shared values as a society. While we ask for accountability from authorities, this crime is a wake-up call for us as individuals and society too."
"It has brought forth moral and ethical decay in our society, where greed and profiteering have become the sole driving force, even by stooping to such levels," the chief cleric of Kashmir said.
Authorities have started a pro-active campaign checking wholesale and retail outlets in addition to hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries to ensure that rotten meat is not sold or distributed anywhere.
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