Malegaon, October 15: Challenging the self-allotting authority of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and disappointed by the way it functions, some Delhi based lawyers, activists, journalists, Madrasa alumni and students are planning to form their own All India Muslim Youth Personal Law Board, reported.
“The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has not been able to address the the Muslim issues properly. It is more political than a community body and is ignoring the young opinion on many important issues”, the New Delhi based English weekly quoted Sham Shahnawaz, a student leader, as saying.
“Hence, we plan to have our own platform so as to address the issues faced by fellow Muslims”, he added.
The group behind the idea that consists of around 30 people including students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, young muftis and politicians, plans the formal announcement of the board by the end of this month.
Outlining the importance of having the Youth Board, Mohammad Khalid, a TV reporter, says that a major chunk of today’s Muslim youth are in universities or working as professionals in different walks of life. Yet their voice is limited to personal chats or internet blogs.
“All major Muslim organizations are headed and comprised by old folks. We respect them but do not trust them any more. We want to raise Muslim issues in our own way, exclusively from our own platform”, says Khalid.
Membership Drive
The group plans to embark on nationwide membership drive, starting with universities like Jamia Millis Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Jamia Hamdard University and others.
It also plans to start a recruitment drive on the internet and to form social networking groups to educate youngsters about the importance of having the board.
“Besides, is we deliver on issues like education, employment and Muslim enlightenment, people will automatically adopt us”, says Khalid.
No parallel to AIMPLB
Brushing aside the notion that the board Youth Board would be treated as a parallel to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and might result in complicating the issues, Shams Tavrez, a high court lawyer, says, “We are not standing in opposition to the AIMPLB. We will seek their guidance to run our affairs, but will function with complete freedom.”
He also adds that they intend to form an advisory panel that may include AIMPLB cadre and other prominent Muslim scholars and personalities.
Interestingly, the board by these youngsters has started generating support even before its formal announcement. Stating that the Muslim youth are crux of the community, Shaista Amber, president of All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, says, “Even then the board is ignoring them. In such situation, they have every right to run their own forum.”
Members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), however, have declined to comment and say they were ignorant of any such move and would comment only when such a formation surfaced formally.
-Agencies