Muslim sects criticize government, unite to protest against interference in personal law

Scholars and clergymen associated with various Muslim sects converged under the banner of All India Muslim Majlise-e-Mushawarat on Monday to register their protest against the Law Commission's consultation on triple talaq and  Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Recently, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB), while announcing the decision to boycott the Law Commission's consultation, had criticised the Narendra Modigovernment for allegedly trying to divert attention from its"failures" by raising the issue of UCC.

The meeting in Mumbai was chaired by Maulana SayedMohamed Khalid Ashraf, the president of Daruloom Mohamdiya. Prominent among those who attended the meeting were All India Ulema Council president Maulana Zaherudin Khan, Mushawarat President Naveed Hamid and General Secretary Mujtaba Farooq, All India Muslim Personal Law Board executive committee member Maulana Sayed Athar Ali, All India Jamiat Islami Vice President Maulana Nusrat, internationally-famous Haji Ali Dargah's Imam Maulana Mohd Islam, noted Shia scholar Maulana Asgar Imam Salfi (Ahlehadis) Maulana Asgar Haideri and others.

"Any interference in Muslim Personal Law will not be tolerated. Any efforts to impose a Common Civil Code in thename of social reform and gender justice will prove counter-productive," they said in a joint statement here.

"The government should respect this position of Muslims instead of conspiring to put an end to it. The government cannot force Muslims to follow other communities in issues related to personal laws as it would amount to an infringement of their fundamental rights."

Those clamouring against triple talaq and demanding a ban on polygamy are a minuscule minority and are not representative of the Indian Muslim community," said Maulana Sayed Mohamed Khalid Ashraf. All India Ulema Council president Maulana Zaherudin Khan said the move of banning triple talaq is a conspiracy to impose a Uniform Civil Code. "We will boycott this questionnaire. No Muslim willrespond to it because it is misleading and deceitful. TheUniform Civil Code is divisive and will lead to social unrest," he said.

All India Ulema Association president Maulana SayedAthar Ali said the government should not interfere in the belief and religion of any citizen. Muslims consider divorce, polygamy and other personal laws as an intrinsic part of their religion and are hence obliged to follow the Sharia in those matters, he said.