Srinagar : Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of several religious organisations in Jammu and Kashmir , on Wednesday asked the government to immediately withdraw “coercive order” on recitation of Vande Matram in the schools in the Union territory as the national song contained parts which were against Islamic beliefs of monotheism.

“The MMU, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, expresses serious concern over the recent directive issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s Department of Culture instructing schools across the region to commemorate the 150th year of Vande Mataram through organized musical and cultural programs ensuring participation of all students and staff,” the amalgam said in a statement here.

The MMU said singing or reciting Vande Mataram “is un-Islamic, as it con

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