Lucknow, October 16: Islamic scholars and clerics are divided on a proposal for reserving seats for women in the top body that aims to protect Muslim personal laws.
Syed Kalbe Sadiq, vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), had suggested here on Sunday that 30 per cent of the board’s membership be set aside for women.
Only 12 per cent of the board’s members are women now, a ratio Sadiq suggested was low. “An increase in women representatives (on the board) will ensure a better deal for Muslim women. Women today are victims of the dictates of (a) male-dominated society and not Islamic law,” Sadiq, a Shia cleric known for his progressive views, said.
Shia and Sunni scholars have long been split on community reforms.
Sadiq, who came up with the proposal while addressing over 1,000 women at a convention of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, said he would press for the reservation at the board’s next meeting from March 21 to 23 here.
The president of the Shia Muslim Personal Law Board backed the move. “It (30 per cent reservation) is a good suggestion by Sadiq and should be appreciated,” Mirza Mohammed Athar said. Other Shia board members felt the quota could give women greater say in the community’s affairs. It could, for instance, help victims of domestic violence get justice.
But some of Sadiq’s colleagues on the All India Personal Law Board saw no merit in the proposal. Lawyer Zafaryab Jilani, a senior board member and convener of the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee, dubbed the quota idea “a utopian suggestion that will just create media hype”. In the past, Sadiq, a known campaigner for Muslim women’s rights, has been accused of floating sensational, but impractical, ideas.
“Why doesn’t Sadiq find suitable women candidates for the board who can be taken as members?” Jilani said, appearing to suggest it wasn’t easy to find enough Muslim women who fitted the bill.
The existing women members often stay away from meetings, he claimed, and suggested that quotas weren’t needed to get more women involved in the board’s proceedings. “Muslim women with an open mind on religious and social issues are always welcome to the discussions.”
-Agencies