By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Kolkata: Quite a furore was caused, though for a brief period, in the 20th session of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, (AIMPLB), underway here in Kolkata during the debate over the general secretary Maulana Syed Nizamuddin’s report when a founder member of AIMPLB questioned the working style of the apex body of Indian Muslims last night.
A member of AIMPLB took strong exception to Kamaal Farooqui, a founder member of AIMPLB and chairman of Delhi State Minorities Commission, the first speaker after the presentation of the general secretary report, who objected to the changing and rescheduling of the original agenda wherein the meeting of the founder members was postponed and the ratification of the last meeting was not obtained from the general body as mentioned. Farooqui also had dig at the Board when he commented about six hours of “Qailullah” (afternoon nap after meals) of the functionaries of AIMPLB after the morning inaugural session.
One Maulana Sohail Nadwi sitting in the back rows was so much agitated that he tried to rush to the podium yelling at Farooqui and wanted to physically stop him from airing his views. The organisers and their volunteers intervened and caught hold of the Maulana and tried to cool down his frayed tempers before the situation took an ugly turn.
As Maulana Sohail jostled with the organisers in a bid to reach the dais Farooqui while maintaining that it was his democratic right to express his views and was speaking with the permission of the chair apologized if he had hurt anybody’s feelings.
Photo by Hasnain Siddiqui
Maulana Sohail cooled down after much persuasions and Farooqui continued with his speech. He said the AIMPLB is not conducted in a professional manner with the loss of so many man-hours of delegates and waste of Muslim Ummah money. He also charged media is not involved and kept at bay with the result that news about he Board and Muslims is not projected in a positive manner.
Farooqui informed that there are 53 mosques in Delhi which under ASI is not being maintained properly and where permission to offer “Namaz” (prayers) is not granted. He urged the AIMPLB to intervene in the matter and pass a resolution demanding the right to offer Namaz in these mosques and maintain it also.
Syed Shahabuddin, Editor Muslim India and former Member of Parliament, took strong exception to the Board’s studied silence over burning issues cropping up from time to time and making national headlines in the media which affect Muslim Ummah and try to rub it on the wrong side in the absence of authoritative clarification. He urged that the Board should issue consolidated statement based in the light of only Quran and Hadith when the situation demands to shut campaigns denigrating Islam.
Shahabuddin also expressed his displeasure over vilification and demonizing campaign against Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Taslima Nasreen case with the Board remaining mum over such issues.
He opined that there should have been a separate chapter in the general secretary report on highlighting women’s woes in the Muslim society and the measures taken by the Board to alleviate their sufferings.
He also observed that the Press and public relation is very poor of the Board which should be strengthened so that overall picture about Muslims changes and is presented in a positive manner.
Shahabuddin said that by just demanding changes in Waqf laws is not enough but the Board should keep an eye over the Waqf property being encroached upon and destroyed all over the country by taking corrective measures.
He suggested that AIMPLB should publish its history with list of memoranda submitted and resolutions passed from time to time. He also urged to publish the profiles of members every year so that members could know each other. ([email protected])