Now, another cleric bats for shifting of mosque in Ayodhya

LUCKNOW: A Solapur-based Islamic scholar Maulana Shahabuddin Firdausi has endorsed Maulana Salman Nadwi’s stance on shifting the Babri Mosque away from the disputed site even as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) ruled out an out of court settlement at this juncture of Ayodhya issue on Wednesday.

“The whole earth is a mosque. A place of worship can be replaced in the greater interests of the Indian Muslims and this will be a desirable step in Babri Masjid case,” Maulana Firdausi said in a tweet tagging Maulana Salman Nadwi and Zafar Sareshwala, chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

Despite his about turn and statement that he was dropping the Ayodhya issue from his agenda, Nadwi quickly re-tweeted Maulana Firdausi’s tweet.

A peace activist, Maulana Firdausi, has also authored a book on triple talaq and has set up a blood bank in Solapur.

The AIMPLB, however, dismissed

such attempts to broker a negotiated settlement saying that it was too late for talks and only a court verdict on the matter was acceptable to it.

“This is not the first time that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is trying to mediate. He tried the dialogue route earlier also but drew a blank,” said AIMPLB secretary and lawyer Zafaryab Jilani.

The apex body of Muslims on religious issues, however, took exception to the Art Of Living spiritual leader’s comment that “the country can become like Syria and Muslims should leave their claim on Ayodhya.”

“This is an attack on country’s well-being,” AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said to PTI. On the letter written to the AIMPLB by Ravi Shankar on Tuesday, in which he suggested Muslims gift one acre at Ayodhya site to Hindus who will provide five acres for a mosque, Rehmani said, “he will comment on it only after discussion with board members.” “We will come out with a detailed reply to his (Ravi Shankar’s letter) letter soon,” said AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Sajjad Nomani.

Asked about AOL founder’s

concerns regarding communal violence, Maulana Rahmani said, “If he has any such apprehension, he should find a way out to avoid a situation of communal clashes.”

Sri Sri has, meanwhile, clarified his statement: “It was a point of view, and not threat. There is no point in giving a threat. I cannot imagine it even in my dreams. We want peace, and an atmosphere of harmony...I feel that the situation which is prevailing in other countries, should never arise in our country. We are working in those countries,” he said to reporters in Bareilly.