Include Constitution of India in syllabus for qazis: AIMPLB

LUCKNOW: The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday urged the ‘madarsas’ to include Indian Constitution as a subject in their syllabus to make students aware of constitutional guarantees pertaining to religion and personal laws.

A resolution to this effect was passed at the concluding session of the three-day conference on ‘Darul Qazas’ (mediation centres), which resolve disputes related to marriage, divorce and inheritance of Muslims who approach it.

AIMPLB member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said: “We have called upon madarsas to make study of Indian Constitution, particularly those provisions which provide freedom to practice one’s own religion and personal laws mandatory for ‘qazis’ (judges), to counter malicious propaganda against these centres.”

The meeting passed another resolution raising strong objection to Darul Qazas being termed as Islamic/Shariat courts and insisted that no other terminology be used for these mediation centres.

“There is no conflict between the law of the land and the Qaza Nizam (the Islamic system for dispute resolution),” said AIMPLB secretary Zafaryab Jeelani.

He said the courts in India give a free hand to Darul Qaza to dispense justice as they function within the purview of the Indian Penal Code’s Arbitration Act.

“The Indian judiciary has appreciated the role played by the Darul Qazas in reducing the burden of pendency on courts,” he said, adding that these mediation centres never entertain petitions of criminal disputes and never assume the role of a parallel court.

“These institutions are successfully dispensing justice in Muslim matters and 90 per cent of those approaching them with appeals are women, which is a fitting reply to all those who raise objections on the Muslim Personal Law Board and allege discrimination against the fairer sex,” said Maulana Khalid Rashid, who is also the Imam of Lucknow Eidgah.

The conference adopted eight resolutions urging ‘qazis’ (religious heads) of all states to meet at least once a year, deliver one Friday sermon in a month to emphasise the importance and virtues of the system, discuss issues and problems faced by the community, dispel misconceptions about Islamic laws and focus on education.