Muslim sects unite to slam govt move on personal laws

In a display of solidarity, Islamic scholars and clerics of all Muslim sects yesterday attacked the government for trying to introduce a Uniform Civil Code.
The scholars and clerics from Sunni, Shia, Barelvi, Deobandi and Ahlehadi sects registered their protest against what they termed was “the government’s interference in personal laws.”
In a joint statement issued after a brainstorming session, the leaders slammed the government’s proposals on triple talaq and other practices which they said would violate their personal laws.
“Any interference in Muslim personal law will not be tolerated. Any efforts to impose a Uniform Civil Code in the name of social reform and gender justice will prove counterproductive,” they said.
The president of All India Ulema Council, Maulana Zaherudin Khan, condemned the move to ban triple talaq as a conspiracy to impose a Uniform Civil Code which he said was opposed by most Muslims.
“We will boycott this questionnaire. No Muslim will respond to it because it is misleading and deceitful. The Uniform Civil Code is divisive and will lead to social unrest,” he cautioned, referring the questionnaire sent by Law Commission to all stakeholders, seeking their opinion on the desirability of a civil code.
“The government should respect this position of the Muslims instead of conspiring to forcibly put an end to it,” said Darul Uloom Mohamadiya’s president Maulana Sayed M K Ashraf.
“It cannot force Muslims to follow other communities in issues related to personal laws as it tantamount to an infringement on their fundamental rights,” Ashraf said.
He said that Muslims clamouring against triple talaq and demanding a ban on polygamy “are a miniscule minority who do not represent the sentiments of the majority of Indian Muslims.”
All Indian Ulema Association president Maulana Sayed Athar Ali urged the government to refrain from interfering in the beliefs and religions of all citizens.
“Muslims consider divorce, polygamy and other personal laws as an intrinsic part of their religion and are obliged to follow the Shariah in these matters,” Maulana Ali said.
The latest move comes shortly after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said it would oppose the civil code.
The meeting in Mumbai was chaired by Maulana Ashraf and attended by AIUC president Maulana Khan; Mushwarat president Naveed Hamid; AIMPLB executive committee member Maulana Sayed Athar Ali; All India Jamiat Islami vice-president Maulana Nusrat; Imam of Mumbai’s Haji Ali Dargah Maulana Mohamed Islam; Shiah scholar Maulana Asgar Haideri and Ahlehadis scholar Maulana Asgar Imam Salfi.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad has emerged as hub of campaign against Uniform Civil Code.
Many Muslim organisations in Hyderabad feel the Law Commission’s move is the thin edge of the wedge in the attempt to impose a uniform personal law on the community. A call given by the AIMPLB for a country-wide signature campaign against the civil code is receiving good response, with groups belonging to various sects working together.
On the other hand, there are many Muslim women’s organisations in the country that are taking a stand against the triple talak issue which is before the Supreme Court.
Various organisations are collecting signatures of both men and women to oppose any move “to interfere with Muslim personal law”. The campaign has been taken up at various mosques in Hyderabad with men and women signing a form prescribed by AIMPLB, said to be apex body representing Muslims in the country.
The form women in part reads: “We the undersigned Muslim women do hereby declare that we are fully satisfied with all the rulings of Islamic Shariah, particularly Nikah, inheritance, divorce, khula and Faskh (dissolution of marriage). We deny that these need any reform or there is any scope for change therein.”
Imams at mosques, in their sermons, are speaking about what they see as a first step towards imposing the Uniform Civil Code. They are exhorting Muslims to unite to defeat the proposal.
On October 19, the Muslim United Forum is organising a protest meeting at Darussalam, the headquarters of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to show unity on the issue. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and leaders of other constituents of the forum representing various sects will address the meeting.