Puttur: Mangalore Kazi Exhorts Community to Drive Away Problems
News and pics: Haneef Puttur
Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Jul 4: “Problems that plague our community brethren should be treated as our enemies. Our aim should be to beat back these problems and build our society on a stronger footing,” advised Mangalore Kazi, Al-haj Twaka Musliyar. He was speaking after visiting Kalladka Jamaat and Shekhamale Jamaat on Friday July 2, in the second phase of his anti-dowry campaign.
He felt that the system of Jamaat needs to be strengthened further for driving away these problems. The members of the Jamaat committees, who had gathered to hear him, had a new experience of hearing fresh views of the Kazi.
Initially, the Kazi held consultations with the Kalladka Jamaat committee. During the course of the meeting, he expressed the view that Jamaat Committees should not confine themselves to the tasks of collecting donations, disbursing salaries to priests and supervising the progress of the mosques. He wanted them to keep regular contact with the families living within the Jamaat jurisdiction and to respond to the sorrows, problems or auspicious happenings within these families. “The Jamaat president and the Khateeb should work like two eyes of the local community. If they succeed in providing religious and social leadership to the local people, improvements become obvious in no time, he felt.
He also felt that unless the Jamaats take care of the education of children and put in efforts to deal with the problems like poverty, sickness and hunger, their duties can never be said to have been completely discharged. While giving a call to the Jamaat committees to become more proactive and put in efforts continuously for a healthy progress of the society, he asked them to be alert to the possibility of the dowry practice leading the community towards its doom.
“Young men, women and parents within the Jamaat limits should be taken into confidence, and they should be properly educated about the Islamic way of living, towards decimating the scourge of dowry. I am here to provide you guidance to root out this problem in phases,” he promised. He felt that attitudes like working to nullify efforts being made to respond to the problems of the community and passing sarcastic comments about such efforts do not behoove of a true Muslim. He termed good deeds, good behaviour and always preaching truth, as the three foremost qualities of a true Muslim. He said that a mega conference of Ulemas,Umeras and Jamaats will be conducted to discuss and take decisions to end dowry, on July 15.
During his visit to Shekhamale Jamaat, regarded as a Jamaat without the dowry problem, he congratulated the local people. He requested Muslims settled abroad to pray for the success of his efforts to lead the community on progressive path.
The Kazi thanked the media for the support extended to him in his relentless campaign against dowry. Muslim Central Committee secretary, Haneef Haji, Kalladka Jumma Masjid president, Sulaiman Haji, Shekhamale Jamaat president, K P Ahmedaji, Zaheer Puttur, Sirajuddin Haji etc., were present.