Popular Kashmiri Clerics Charged with Hijacking Imam Hussain’s Movement for Personal Power and Popularity

Syed Sajid Hussain Al- Musavi, Srinagar, July 5, 2025: There is a rising tide of worry sweeping Kashmir’s Shia population over a set of popular, self-styled “ulama” who are being accused of abusing the revered name of Imam Hussain (A.S) — the venerated grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) — for personal and political motives. These clerics, one argument goes, have made the pulpit a podium to gather popular goodwill, popularity, and power, defiling the very cause of Karbala that exhorts people to resist oppression and tyranny. For centuries, the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) has motivated millions of people worldwide to stand for truth, justice, and defiance of injustice. But some Kashmiri mourners and scholars now complain that a few prominent clerics have converted Majalis and Muharram meetings from spiritual consciousness to factional politics, selfish rivalries, and self-praise. “These self-styled ulama no longer propagate the universal Karbala message. They spread intolerance, polarize the community, and use Muharram as a platform to establish their own kingdom,” said a senior community member in Srinagar, requesting anonymity. He blamed these clerics for playing on emotions, raising sensational points, and targeting competing groups in sermons to attract more crowds and funding — all under the holy name of Imam Hussain (A.S).Motives Under Scrutiny Watchers identify the final objective of this action as power — religious, social, and also political. As Muharram assemblies become more populous, these ulama utilize the assemblies to build their public reputation, making themselves unremovable figures within the social fabric of the community. “Once they become famous, they use it to put pressure on political leaders, dictate local religious institutions, and even interfere in community matters in personal or sectarian interests,” said a Shia activist in Budgam. Some citizens worry that, in the long term, this fixation on personal celebrity may give rise to sectarian strife, distract people from the real meaning of Imam Hussain’s martyrdom, and undermine the unity of the Kashmiri Shias. Calls for Vigilance and Reform Numerous scholars and human rights campaigners are now calling on ordinary followers to learn about the actual teachings of Karbala and challenge clerics who spread discord or concentrate too much on personal vilification. “Imam Hussain A.S faced Yazid not for temporal power but to maintain divine justice,” a top cleric from Srinagar, who has declined to be associated with these controversial individuals, was quoted as saying. “Any individual leveraging Hussain’s name for their own ascension is selling his mission short. “Certain community leaders have also approached religious boards and imambaras to uphold transparency in arranging Majalis, inviting sermons based on fundamental Islamic principles and the universal theme of Karbala — compassion, unity, tolerance, and the ability to resist tyranny. What’s at StakeExperts caution that if not checked, the tendency threatens to convert sacred Muharram ceremonies into arena of egoistic power politics at the expense of alienating the coming generations who could perceive the events as ego shows and not as great spiritual introspection. “We must reclaim the real message of Karbala,” read a message from a group of Kashmir University students who launched an awareness campaign on social media, calling people to shun the clerics who use religion for popularity. With the Islamic month of Muharram reaching its climax, the voices demanding introspection and unity are becoming more intense, reminding Kashmir’s Shia population that Imam Hussain A.S’s cause was never an exercise in constructing empires on this earth, but one of giving up everything for the sake of truth and justice — values that should be higher than any one person’s ambitions.

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