The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with All India Milli Council and other Muslim organisations, have decided to step up their campaign against ‘infringement’ on the religious rights and practices of Muslims. They also oppose the moves of the Union government on the triple talaq issue and common civil code.
Member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and founder member of the All India Milli Council and former Minister Qamarul Islam told presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday that the signature campaign against the move to abolish triple talaq and introduce common civil code in the country would be completed on October 30. The collected signatures would be sent to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for submission to President Pranab Mukherjee, seeking his intervention to protect the rights of minorities which were guaranteed in the Constitution.
Mr. Qamarul said that on November 5 a public meeting would be held in Kalaburagi city to protest against the “repeated attempts” of the BJP-led NDA government to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims and “dilute the guarantees” made to the minorities in the Constitution. People from Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Bidar, Ballari and Vijayapura would be participating in the meeting.
He said that many judicial orders have repeatedly upheld that any interference in the personal laws was not only a violation of religious freedom enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution, but also put an end to the unique cultural identity of minorities. It was only an illusion that bringing in uniform civil code would help in national integration; instead it would only fuel disunity and disintegration, he felt.
The intention of the Union government in filing an affidavit before the apex court on triple talaq, polygamy and maintenance of divorcees and other issues and the Law Commission issuing a questionnaire were aimed at clearing the way for an uniform civil code, he contended.
Burkha issue
Mr. Qamarul Islam also condemned the attempts by right wing student organisations to ‘communalise’ college campuses in North Karnataka districts by calling for a ban on girl students wearing burkha in classrooms.
Referring to reports appearing in The Hindu that such a call had been made in some colleges in Haveri district, he said that it was an infringement on the religious rights of Muslim girls and would be opposed by the community. To a question, he said that he was confident that the State government would give directions to college managements not to impose any such ban.
To another question, Mr. Qamarul spiked rumours that he was quitting the Congress and joining the Janata Dal (S) and said that this was “only the imagination of the media.” “There has been some setbacks but that does not mean I am leaving the Congress party…..I am a Congressman”.
Syed Shah Ali Al Hussaini, Janasheen-e-Sajjada Nasheen of Dargah Hazrath Khajan Bandanawaz, Baba Nazar Mohammad Khan, Ameer Ahle Hadeed, Mayor of the Kalaburagi Mahanagar Palike Syed Ahmed and others were present.
