Vote bank politics behind interference in Muslim personal law and targeting of mosques and madrassas

New Delhi - Several laws are being enacted by governments to prevent Muslims from entering mosques, madrasas and practicing Sharia in the country, which is a cause for concern for Muslims. Be it the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand or Muslim marriages in Assam. All these government measures are an interference in the personal law of Muslims. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a well-known national organization of the country, has condemned these measures taken by the government against Muslims as vote bank politics.

In the monthly press conference held at the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on Saturday, March 2, officials of Jamaat-e-Salami Hind expressed their position on issues such as Muslim Personal Law, Maulana Azad Education Foundation, immediate ceasefire in Gaza and war crimes against the Israeli government. What did On Assam and Uttarakhand Government's interference in Muslim Personal Law, Jamaat-e-Islami Vice Amir Malik Mutasim Khan said that Jamaat-e-Islami expressed its concern over the decision of the Assam government to repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, 1935. At present, registration of Muslim marriages and divorces in the state under the said Act is done by the authorized Qazis (Muslim Ulemas) of the government, but now the Muslims of Assam have to register their marriages under the 'Special Marriage Act' of 1954. will be This decision is not only against the spirit of the Constitution but also a clear indication of Islamophobic behavior. Although the Assam government says the move is aimed at curbing child marriage, it appears that its real aim is vote bank politics and polarizing people by showing anti-Muslim activities ahead of the general elections. Is.

Along with this, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind opposes the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by the Uttarakhand government. With this decision, instead of separate personal laws for each religion, the UCC will introduce a set of personal laws that will apply to every citizen regardless of religion. Marriage of girls of all religions will require registration of 'live in relationship' with same age, equal inheritance rights for men and women.

On this occasion, concern was also expressed about the declining moral values ​​in politics. The manner in which horse-trading and cross-voting took place in the recent Rajya Sabha elections points to the moral decay of politics.

Expressing concern over the demise of value-based politics, Prof. Saleem highlighted the need for ethical standards in politics, stressing that elected officials must retain public trust. Politics alone can promote harmony, ensure justice and equality and uphold constitutional principles. "We must stop the power of unbridled money fueling visionless opportunism at the expense of democratic ethics.

During the press conference, Vice President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Prof. Saleem Khan said that Jamaat-e-Islami Hind expresses its displeasure over the closure of Maulana Azad Education Foundation on the orders of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The total availability of funds with the Foundation as on 30 November 2023 is Rs 1073.26 crore with a liability of Rs 403.55 crore, Maulana Azad Education Foundation has Rs 669.71 crore available. The Ministry of Minority Affairs has now ordered the transfer of this surplus to the 'Consolidated Fund' of India. The Jamaat believes that this move is a serious blow to the educational progress of Muslims in India. It feels that the Indian Muslim community is being pushed back in the field of economic development and higher education due to neglect by the government.

Meanwhile, in the press conference, the officials of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind also condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine. They said that the party is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Gaza. It is being reported that a temporary ceasefire may soon follow with the release of more hostages. According to an estimate, 30,000 Palestinians have been martyred and 70,000 injured, including women and children.

Jamaat-e-Islami National Secretary Rahmat-e-Nisa said that Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind expressed concern over the number of custodial rapes as revealed in the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. According to 'NCRB' statistics from 2017 to 2022, there have been more than 270 cases of custodial rape. These incidents involve criminals from various backgrounds, including police officers, civil servants, members of the armed forces, as well as staff in prisons, remand homes and hospitals. It is very shameful for people holding these positions to abuse their power and abuse women. A strong legal framework and institutional reforms are urgently needed to prevent this. The government should take immediate action to address these issues in a comprehensive manner. Legal reforms, better training of law enforcement agencies and stronger mechanisms for accountability are needed to ensure change in this negative social behavior.