Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JD)
Mangaluru, Nov 22: The Muslim Central Committee of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts along with several other Muslim organizations on Tuesday November 22 jointly organized a massive convention to underline the need to protect the Islamic law, or Sharia, and oppose the central government's proposal to enforce Uniform Civil Code.
Addressing the gathering, Haji Abdul Azeez Darimi, member of Karnataka Samastha Mushawara said, "We are ready to even give our blood as well as our lives to protect the Sharia law. We are even ready to go by walk to Delhi from here.
"A do-or-die situation has come, hence we have united, and the message that we want to give to the government is that we are ready to even sacrifice our lives. This is not the first time that the Sharia law has faced obstacles from the government. About 30 years ago, the same situation was there when Rajiv Gandhi's government was in power. But due to the fight put up by the Muslim community, the parliament was shaken, and the government withdrew the proposal to scrap Sharia law. This is not a fight of Muslims alone, but people of all religions.
"The Supreme Court is in a hurry, and the government has given 16 questions seeking response from the public. Is it a contest like Kaun Banega Crorepati that we should answer with yes/no? No court in the country has the right to scrap anyone's fundamental right to practice one's religion. Muslims are ready to give their lives for the country.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "We will support your surgical strike on Pakistan, but we will not tolerate the surgical strike on one's religion. The proposal to ban the Sharia law is not your own. It is the ideology of the Sangh Parivar. The Uniform Civil Code is not just about wearing trousers.
"Can you scrap the various unwanted traditions in your own religion? If you cannot, then why are you troubling our traditions? Tell me if any non-Muslim is affected by the Sharia law. Actually it is the Muslim woman who got a share in her father's property for the first time in the country, during the time of the British. It happened only because of Islam. Today women of all religions have the right in their ancestral properties.
"Modiji, you do not have the right to say no to Sharia and talaq. We do not question your traditions and practices. So do not question our religious practices," Darimi said.
Mohammed Kunhi, president of Jamat-e-Islami, Mangaluru, said, "The proposal to implement Uniform Civil Code is impractical, unnatural and unrealistic. For a country of diverse culture, it is foolishness to implement it. How can one group of people decide a country's tradition, its values and its history? It is a fascist who wants to control the government, and such a person is dangerous to our society. Fascism has spread all over the country. It has come to such a level that the food you eat and the clothes that you wear are questioned. A variety of books, traditions, writers, and their thoughts are in danger.
"We must discuss the situation the country faced before the proposal of Uniform Civil Code came about. The Uniform Civil Code was proposed to corner the students' movement and Dalit movement in the country. Mohammed Akhlaq who was killed by fascists in Dadri has a son in the Army named Mohammed Sartaj. He puts a question in front of all of us: 'who do we have to respect as nationalist - the ones who made me join the Army, or the ones who killed my father?'"
"The PM has gone to many countries, but nowhere has he said that he would protect the diversity of our country. The Uniform Civil Code has been proposed just to implement the agenda of the Sangh Parivar to divide the minority. Ironically, even a draft of the Uniform Civil Code is yet to be presented, still they want to scrap the Sharia law. Let the Indians decide and express their opinion according to the Constitution.
Speaking on the demand for ban on talaq, or the divorce system in Islam, he said, "Talaq is beneficial to a (divorced) woman who spends her whole life saying she is a widow even when her husband is still alive. Talaq will help a woman to lead a new life if it becomes extremely difficult to lead a normal life with the husband. There are rules and regulations how a talaq must be given, and for that we have our scholars and leaders of the community to solve the issue with talaq. We do not need Sangh Parivar for that."
Ummer Shareef of South Karnataka Salafi Movement said, "We were trying to unite the Muslim country for 30 years, but the BJP has united us with a single proposal. If you have the guts, bring uniform dress code instead of Uniform Civil Code. They say in Hindu society 'Vasudeva Kutumbakam' which means the people of the whole world are one and belong to a family. But who are we Muslims? Don't we belong to the same family?"
Minister for food and civil supplies U T Khader said, "This country has a Constitution which is one among the greatest in the world. It is holy to every Indian, and even if 10 Modis come, the Constitution cannot be changed. Hence, while talking of the Uniform Civil Code, we have to proceed with patience and understanding. The opinion of all communities must be taken. Here there is no scope for communalism. If the minorities become communalist, the community will be in danger. And if the majority become communalists, then the whole nation will be in danger. Hence we have to live in harmony in society, without disturbing each other's lives."
Ibrahim Kodijal welcomed the gathering.
A massive crowd of over 50,000 people gathered to witness the programme.