The Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind (Mahmood Madani faction), has proposed setting up social reform committees in villages and towns to ensure that Muslim residents live by “Islamic rules and social values.”
“Muslims should be convinced for regular practice of namaz and keeping fasts during the month of Ramadan. Youths should be persuaded to practise salam, don their Islamic identity and create a religious atmosphere at home,” said a resolution passed by the JUH at a meeting of its managing committee held here on Monday.
‘Cultural malpractices'
The resolution said “cultural malpractices” had permeated Muslim society leading to “reckless avoidance of Islamic rules and social values.” The proposed committee would spread its message through programmes, meets and literature, the resolution said, adding that Muslims would be cautioned against “watching cinema, television and other moral-killing things.” They would also be advised to avoid the current solutions being propagated for AIDS and instead asked to follow Islamic teachings in matters concerning sexual morality.
Drug intake
“There is a growing tendency in youths towards drugs. Promiscuity and vulgarities are on the rise. The situation is very distressing. Muslims are being tempted towards western culture. This has created crisis of Islamic identity. These evils have to be fought against vigorously through campaigns…”
The JUH passed nine resolutions in all. These included: reservation in education and jobs; release of Muslim youths implicated on false charges of terrorism and compensation for them on the pattern adopted by the Australian government in the Mohammad Haneef case; resolving the problems of Haj pilgrims by providing for better air travel and facilities and through greater empowerment of the Haj committees; and stricter implementation of The Wakf Act, 1995, after suitable amendments, to prevent the misuse of Wakf properties valued at billions of rupees.
Poor representation
On reservation, the JUH said that though Muslims constituted about 13 per cent of the population, their representation in various public spheres was less than two per cent , resulting in extreme poverty and socio-educational backwardness — a fact highlighted by the Justice Rajinder Sachar committee which had placed the community lower than Dalits in some respects. The JUH demanded a separate quota over and above the existing reservation for Muslim OBCs, suggesting that the government name Muslims as a “most backward community” to overcome the Constitutional and legal hurdles in the path of providing a separate quota. The JUH also wanted Muslim labourer castes to be included among Dalits through amendments to Article 341 of the Constitution.
