Lucknow: Terming the proposed Prevention
of Communal Violence Bill as harmful for Muslims, the All
India Muslim Personal Law Board on Sunday said it would oppose the
legislation till it was redrafted.
"The proposed bill is not only useless, but is also
harmful for Muslims. The AIMPLB would oppose the bill till
the time it is redrafted," the board's Assistant General
Secretary Maulana Abdur Rahim Qureshi told reporters here on
the concluding day of the Panel's three-day conference.
Alleging that the bill would give arbitrary powers
to the police, Qureshi said, "Majority of the commissions set
up by the government in the past have said that police acted
under a bias and was prejudiced towards Muslims, therefore
their accountability should also be fixed."
The AIMPLB has appealed to all Muslim organisations to
oppose the bill, he added.
"A meeting of the Muslim MPs and like-minded people
would be held before April 12 on this issue," board member
Zafaryab Jilani, who was also present, said.
Qureshi said that the board during its three-day
conference also condemned framing innocent Muslim youths in
the name of terrorism.
"Atrocities are being committed against Muslim youths
in the name of terrorism and they are being put behind the
bars without any charges. This is not good and peace cannot be
restored by adopting such methods," he said.
The AIMPLB assistant general secretary said in many
cases arrested youths were acquitted by the court as charges
against them were found to be false and police failed to
produce evidence.
He said the board has also demanded that the Centre
review its relationship with Israel.
"There should be no close cooperation with Israel,
which is destroying Masjid-e-Aqsa," Qureshi alleged.
Accusing India of having a tie with Israel to procure
weapons, he said the country should revert back to the policy
adopted by Jawaharlal Nehru.
"Gandhiji opposed Israel and demanded that Palestine
should get freedom. This policy was adopted by Nehru and the
present government should adop the same policy," Qureshi said.
"India should first watch its own interest and not
that of US or Israel," he said, adding that even the Arab
countries were not taking strong position against Israel.
He said that the board has also appealed to Muslims to
follow Shariya law and not to indulge in demanding dowry or
making extravagant expenditure during marriages.
"There is no sanctity of dowry in Shariat Law, there
is only provision of Meher. Muslims should perform their
marriages as per Sunnat," he said.
The AIMPLB office-bearer said that the board has also
appealed to Muslims to get educated.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 22:17