Muslim law board opposes communal violence bill

Lucknow, March 21 : The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has expressed strong opposition to the communal violence bill as well as the growing "bonhomie between India and Israel."

Declaring this at the conclusion of its three-day annual convention at the Nadwatul Darul Uloom Islamic University here, AIMPLB spokesman Maulana Abdul Rahim Quraishi told a press conference Sunday evening: "The board takes exception to India's increasing proximity with Israel from where we have even entered into arms-purchase agreement."

He said: "We would like to advise the government to maintain the same distance with Israel as was professed and practiced by Gandhi and Nehru."

Referring to international terrorism, the board expressed displeasure over handling of the issue. "While we are vehemently opposed to terrorism, we do not approve of the way innocent Muslim boys were picked up as terror suspects and then subjected to third-degree."

Board legal adviser Zafaryab Jilani joined Quraishi to add that the board also resolved to oppose the drafting of the communal violence bill.

"We have serious objections to certain provisions of the communal violence bill in its existing form," Jilani said.

"The bill needs to be amended, otherwise in its present form it tends to only give more blanket powers to the police, that was already in the habit of targeting innocent youth," Jilani said.

"If the bill were to be taken up in its present form, it would fail to serve any purpose; it would seem that the government's objective was to further make lives of innocent citizens more difficult rather than providing any respite to them," he said.

The board proposes to mobilise Muslim MPs of various political parties to jointly raise the issue.

"We will shortly approach all Muslim MPs as well secular minded MPs belonging to different political parties to seek suitable amendments in the communal violence bill," Jilani added.

On the Babri Masjid issue, the board proposes to seek "day-to-day hearing" in the case pending before the Allahabad High Court.

"We would also demand indictment of certain accused persons who have been let off by the Liberhan Commission," he said.

The board did not, however, take up certain vital issues concerning personal laws of Muslims. Asked if the board had any discussion on the women's reservation bill, he said, "well, that is not in our domain."

Likewise, when a scribe sought to know if the issue of triple 'talaq' came up for discussion at the annual conclave, he shot back, "that was not on our agenda."