By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: The community’s ‘verdict’ on the Supreme Court verdict on Haj subsidy is vertically divided. From common Muslim to clerics to leaders – the division is clear. Only yesterday, many Muslims came out in this city welcoming the SC order to phase out Haj subsidy. Today another set of community members have taken exactly opposite approach – Haj subsidy is not prohibited in Islam, it should continue, and Supreme Court should withdraw the phase-out order.
Subsidy given by the government of India on airfare of Haj pilgrims is not prohibited in Islam, it’s our right in India, declared clerics and Muslim NGOs at a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday.
Maulana Ejaz Kashmiri, Farid Shaikh, Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi, Maulana M.B Qasmi, Harun Mzawala addressing the press on 10th May 2012 in Mumbai
Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Khan Daryabadi, general secretary, All India Ulama Council, announced, “Subsidy given on airfare to Indian pilgrims is not Haram (prohibited). In fact it is of great help for poor Muslim majority to attain their dreams of Haj, once in a lifetime.” He argued that every community living in India is getting government funds directly or indirectly for their religious duties, then why this discrimination against Muslims only.
Corruption in Hajj programme and misuse of subsidy should be investigated and resolved rather than axe it, he added.
NGOs termed the Apex Court’s verdict against Hajj Subsidy as “Uncalled for” and sought immediate review petition to be filed by the government of India. None of the petitioners or the respondents in the cases has sought for an order either the Union of India should or should not grant subsidy for the Hajjis in the airfare, they said.
Maulana M Burhanuddin Qasmi, director of Markazul Ma’arif complained, “The case was between Government of India and the Private Tour Operators regarding the new Hajj Policy but the Apex Court in its own wisdom willfully gone beyond and brought about an order which will undoubtedly adversely affect millions of Muslims in days to come.”
He referred to the ruling in the case of Praful V. Union of India, on 28th January, 2011 where the Hon’ble Court upheld the constitutional validity of the subsidy.
He said that Hon’ble Court wisely stated in the ruling while ordering phasing out of the Hajj Subsidy, “We are also not oblivious of the fact that in many other purely religious events (other than Muslims) there are direct and indirect deployment of state funds and state resources…This Court has no claim to speak on behalf of all Muslims of the country … what is for them a good or bad religious practice”. Then why and how the Honorable Apex Court became a Mufti (an Islamic jurist) which quotes and explains Qur’anic verses to justify its decision of axing Hajj subsidy? he asked.
Issuing fatwa or explaining Qur’anic verses are the work of religious scholars, and Indian Muslim are performing Hajj far last 19 years on subsided Hajj arrangement, no authoritative Muslim institute has ever objected to it. Condemning the quotation given by the Judges from the Quran Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi said, “It’s better for the judges to leave the religious matter and its interpretation to the religious scholars.”
Answering a question about the use of subsidies for the educational and economical upliftment of Muslims, Farid Shiakh, Mumbai Aman Committee said, “Let the Ministry of Minority spend the allocation of Rs.750 Crore which remained idle and lapsed.” He argued it’s the experience that funds meant for minorities remain underutilized and in majority of the cases are retuned.
Leaders argued that our national annual budget is of lacs of crores of rupees and other communities are getting thousands of crore. These few hundred crores of subsidies don’t make any difference.
Those who addressed the press conference were Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Khan Daryabadi, general secretary, All India Ulama Council, Mr. Farid Shaikh, President, Mumbai Aman Committee, Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, Director, Markazul Ma’arif Education and Research Centre. Prominent NGO heads like Haroon Muzawala of Khar-e Ummat Trust, Dr Azimuddin of Movement for Human Welfare and Maulana Ejaz Kashmiri.