India is profiling Kashmir mosques, raising new surveillance fears

"One page of the form collects information about the mosque itself, seeking information about the ideological sect it belongs to, the year it was founded, its sources of funding, monthly expenditure, the number of people it can congregate, and details on ownership of the land on which the structure stands."

"The remaining three pages collect personal details of the people imams, muezzins, khatibs and others associated with the mosque, including their mobile numbers, emails, passport, credit card and bank account details. The more insidious columns in the form ask the respondents to declare if they have relatives abroad, the outfit they are associated with, or even the model of their mobile phone and their social media handles."

"Residents say the police exercise feels less like a routine survey and more like an attempt by the state to exert control over Kashmir's religious institutions. Mohammad Nawaz Khan regrets the day his father, Sanaullah Khan, a retired government employee, agreed to head the managing committee of the neighbourhood mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. Khan's worries began earlier this month after the police started distributing a four-page form, literally titled profiling of mosques, to their functionaries, triggering fears of increased surveillance."

Mosque and madrasa managers in Srinagar received a four-page profiling form that requests detailed institutional and personal information. One page seeks mosque details such as ideological sect, founding year, funding sources, monthly expenditures, capacity and land ownership. The other pages request personal data for imams, muezzins, khatibs and others, including contact, passport, credit card and bank account details. The form also asks about relatives abroad, organisational affiliations, mobile phone models and social media handles. Residents and local committee members express fear that the exercise amounts to increased surveillance and state control over religious institutions.

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