SRINAGAR: A self-styled Sharia court in Srinagar
on Thursday issued a fatwa asking three Christian priests to leave Jammu &
Kashmir for "luring the Valley's Muslims to Christianity". The fatwa
also directed the state government to take over the management of Christian
schools in J&K, besides monitoring church activities.
The outrageous edict follows last November's arrest of pastor M C Khanna of All
Saints Church in Srinagar.
According to Nasir-ul-Islam, deputy to grand Mufti Bashiruddin, four Christian
priests are involved in luring Kashmiri Muslim youth to convert to
Christianity. "Punjabi MC Khanna, Dutch national, Jim Borst, and Gayoor
Messah were told to leave the Valley for their involvement in conversions. Case
against the principal of Tyndale
Biscoe School,
Parvez Samuel Koul, is under investigation. A judgment will announced in due
course," said Naib Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam. Besides the decree, Sharia court
asked the government to involve itself with the management of missionary
schools.