Lucknow, March 22 (Pervez Bari): The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, (AIMPLB), has been empowered by its general body to launch “Awami Thareek” public campaign against hostile Indian courts’ verdicts violating Islamic Shariah laws if the Central Government does not takes remedial measures to undo the wrong done.
The AIMPLB president Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi and the general secretary Maulana Syed Nizamuddin have been authorized by the general body to decide as to when the campaign has to be launched after exploring all avenues to restrain the courts passing judgments infringing the Shariah laws taking advantage of loopholes in the Muslim Women Protection Act 1986.
A resolution was passed to this effect at the general body session of the three-day 21st AIMPLB convention which concluded here on Sunday.
Much heat was created n the debate over court verdicts that went against the tenets of the Islamic Shariat. After much dilly-dallying over the role of AIMPLB and its jurisdiction Maulana Wali Rahmani, secretary AIMPLB, put his foot down saying the Board should not close the door of “Awami Thareek” as it would be suicidal for the community.
Two other resolutions were passed on Sunday. The second resolution was against the proposed Prevention of Communal Violence Bill calling it to be shelved or overhauled or re-drafted. The resolution said: “The AIMPLB opposes the proposed Prevention of Communal Violence Bill strongly and calls upon the government to redraft it. The Bill based on findings and recommendations of Commission of Enquiries and by making the authorities accountable on three main aspects of communal violence. The AIMPLB appeals to all right thinking individuals, associations and organizations to support this demand and call upon all Muslim organizations to raise their voice against the Bill and to continue effectively till the Bill s officially shelved or overhauled and re-drafted ….”.
Later addressing a Press Conference Adv. Abdur Rahim Qureshi in response to a question said: “Prevention of Communal Violence Bill is not only useless but harmful to Muslims as the administration and the police will be granted more powers to control communal riots. This will be an affront to the people, especially to Muslims since the conclusions of Commissions of Enquiry have more often than not blamed police and administration for their excesses in starting riots”.
While the third resolution called upon Muslim world, especially the Arab countries to close ranks by putting their regional differences aside in order to foil Israel’s evil designs to take over Masjid Aqsa and convert it into a place of worship for Jews.
Meanwhile, the “Lucknow Declaration” document, ratified by the general body at the end of the 21st session of the AIMPLB, condemned the charging of Muslim youth of various crimes without investigations and maltreating them in such a humiliating manner that even criminals are not meted out such treatment at the world and national level. It has expressed its despair that Muslims youths are being targeted in India in the name of terrorism and put behind bars for long duration without trial.
This is being done to demoralize and instill fear in them by internal security forces of the country and some police officials. To develop an air of mutual understandings among different communities it is necessary to stop harassment of Muslim youths, the declaration observed.
Terrorism should not be seen just as law and order problem only. The government should look into the cause of such activities and see that those people who are being victimized their genuine demands are redressed forthwith without any delay so that there is no place for anti-socials elements in society, the declaration said.
The AIMPLB warned Indian Government to stop its increasing close collaboration with Israel in many fields as this Jewish state with its barbaric approach towards Palestinian people is strengthening the roots of terrorism.
The declaration said it is being felt that in the name of globalization the Western world s not only dumping its goods in the big markets of Asian countries but is also trying to impose its culture on the developing world. The Indian government is not only obliging the West by bending backwards but is also compromising its moral values. One example is the decision of the Delhi High Court giving green signal to amend Section 377 of IPC to make same sex relationship among consenting individuals not a crime. The Union Government’s lack of interest and unconcerned attitude to move the Supreme Court of India is agonizing and moral decadency, it added.
The declaration has called upon Muslims to spread education in every nook and corner of society so that Muslim Ummah can be identified as an educated community. A practical example should be put forward by Muslims so that it is known they are followers of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who gave the message to the world to read and write so that t could come out from the morass of illiteracy and poverty.
Meanwhile, a massive public meeting presided over by Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi, president AIMPLB, was organized here to mark the end of AIMPLB’s Kolkata session. It was a sea of humanity at Eidgah Miadaan n Aishbagh locality of Lucknow and real show of strength of Muslim Ummah as over two lakh people from Lucknow and nearby places thronged the venue. The vehicular traffic in the city went haywire as road blockades in many parts of the city were reported.
Speaker after speaker at the public meeting exhorted Muslims of various sects to close ranks forgetting their intra-religious differences in the face of a planned West conspiracy going on to divide them on lines of race, creed and caste.
The Muslim clerics and others called upon the Muslims to unite and exert themselves to present and disseminate the true teachings of Islam and dispel all misunderstandings deliberately being created against this religion of truth. For this purpose they should socially interact with non-Muslim Indians.
Earlier, in the morning session reports of various committees viz. “Tahreek Islahi Mash’ara”, cases of Babri Masjid demolition and title suits, Dar-ul-Qaza Committee and Tafheem-e-Shariat Committee were presented.
A number of books published by “Tahreek Islahi Mash’ara” (Campaign to reform Muslim society) were also released on the occasion by Maulana Rabey and presented to authors by him. Ten books translated in Malyalam by Maulana Abdul Shakoor on reforming Muslim society was also released on the occasion.
(pervezbari@eth.net)