All India Muslim Personal Law Board president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani stressed that Islam prohibits building any place of worship on an usurped piece of land. He added that if Muslims had such intentions, temples across the country wouldn’t have existed today.
Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — The judiciary is losing the trust of the minorities, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and several Muslim organisations said on Friday.
Expressing strong opposition to the Varanasi court decision this week permitting Hindu worshippers to perform pooja (prayers) in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid, the AIMPLB asserted that the order not only shocked the 20 crore Muslims but also posed a threat to the country’s secularism.
At a joint press conference here, leaders from AIMPLB and various other Muslim organisations stated that the court’s decision has clearly undermined the confidence of the minorities in the judiciary.
AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani emphasised the sadness felt not only by Muslims but all just, peace-loving and patriotic citizens of the country. Outrightly rejecting the court order, he stressed that Islam prohibits building any place of worship on an usurped piece of land. He added that if Muslims had such intentions, temples across the country wouldn’t have existed today.
He said the court has clearly erred in not allowing the Muslim side to present its views on the issue.
Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, President of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind and Vice President of AIMPLB, claimed that the Supreme Court has set a precedent by awarding the Babri Masjid site to the Hindu side based on ‘Astha’ (faith). He asserted that such decisions weakened people’s confidence in the judiciary.
Maulana Madani argued that if every matter is influenced by the majority intervention, minorities, including Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Sikhs, would never receive justice, posing a serious threat to the country’s unity and integrity. He stated that the judicial system, the last resort for the oppressed in a democratic polity, should not take sides, emphasising adherence to the rule of law.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Deputy Amir Malik Mutasim Khan said the court’s decision goes against the judicial principles. He said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report is based only on claims without any relation to reality. He asserted that the court’s dignity and respect have been irreparably damaged.
Maulana Syed Mahmood Asad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulema Hind, questioned the judicial system’s integrity, calling the Varanasi court’s decision unilateral. He expressed concern over the lack of Supreme Court interference on technical grounds and called for collective responsibility to save the country.
Maulana Mahmoud Madani highlighted the sense of being treated as enemies without justice and fairness, emphasising everyone’s responsibility to fulfill the requirements.
President of Jamiat Ahle Hadith Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mahdi Salafi criticised the court for not following proper procedures and urged the media to highlight the issue while maintaining law and order.
Niaz Ahmed Farooqui, advocate and secretary of Jamiat Ulema Hind, stressed on the principle of justice to provide equal opportunities to both parties. This, he said, was not done in the case related to Gyanvapi Masjid. He stressed that justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done.
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