Islamic scholar reiterates proposal for negotiated settlement

LUCKNOW : Islamic scholar Maulana Salman Nadvi has reiterated his proposal for construction of the mosque away from the disputed site in Ayodhya to resolve the issue through talks following the Supreme Court’s observation on the same on Tuesday.

The Nadwa cleric, who was expelled from All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) last year for his stand on the Ayodhya dispute, said he was willing to initiate the process afresh but a compromise was only possible if all parties to the dispute agreed to a negotiated settlement.

“I have cited instances from Islamic history in which

› The UP Sunni Waqf Board was initially with me when I met (Art of Living founder) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to take the talks forward, but the AIMPLB and opposite parties in the suit derailed the process SALMAN NADVI , Islamic scholar

mosques were shifted due to various exigencies. My proposal was that the mosque should be shifted and constructed somewhere else. I had also said that adequate land must be provided for not only the mosque, but also for an educational institute, which can propagate the message of peace,” he said. But hardliners from both sides in the case stonewalled the attempts to arrive at an out-of-court settlement, he said.

Maulana Salman, who is a dean in Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema, a prestigious seminary in Lucknow, later floated his own organisation Humanity Welfare Board (HWB) comprising scholars of all religions to spread the message of peace and love.

“The UP Sunni Waqf Board was initially with me when I met (Art of Living founder) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to take the talks forward, but the AIMPLB and opposite parties in the suit derailed the process,” he said, adding that mediation was the best option.