Senior Samajwadi Party leader, ST Hasan who is known for his inflammatory utterances has asked, “Why does anyone have a problem if we apply Sharia law to ourselves”? He was speaking against the under-consideration Uniform Civil Code in the country.
“India is a land of unity is diversity. Our country is a bouquet of colorful flowers. When our country got independence, Dr Ambedkar wrote that every person is free to practice and preach their religion. This is written in our constitution. Why is anyone bothered if we want to live our life as per Sharia,” he asked.
According to him, Islam was the first faith to grant women rights over their paternal property. “How it is divided amongst boys and girls is a separate matter. The Quran has commanded it. If a Muslim is a sincere believer, he cannot reject the Quran. Even I can’t do it. Only the instructions provided to us by the Quran will be followed.”
He challenged, “They can enact countless laws. We won’t be impacted. Muslims solely adhere to Quran, and they will divide their assets among their offspring in accordance with Sharia. Why is it a problem for anyone,” he questioned and added, “Regarding the issue of the second marriage, I would like to know what your issue is if a man took a second wife with the consent of his first one if she is found to have a serious illness or couldn’t conceive.”
He charged that the government had institutionalized immorality and indecency in the nation. “You granted homosexuality and live-in relationships constitutional legitimacy. How is it possible for you to state that don’t marry twice? How can you prevent someone from getting married to multiple women if you can cohabitate with multiple partners in live-in relationships,” he questioned.
“Muslims observe the rules that Allah provided us in the Quran. My point of contention is that no one is troubled by them in any way. These are our personal laws. We will push back strongly against your plans to obliterate them,” the member of Lok Sabha from Moradabad warned. “We have been abiding by the same laws for 75 years. What problems have they caused since then? Has anyone complained if a female’s share of the paternal property is lower than that of a male?”
“What is your problem,” he reiterated. He alleged that it is not about UCC but preparation for 2024 when the next general elections are scheduled to be held. “They want to cultivate the seeds of animosity between the Hindus and Muslims who live in this country. BJP leaders are competing to torture Muslims. They rise to prominence in the party in direct proportion to how severely they torment Muslims. This is well understood by the Muslims.”
He further proclaimed, “I informed you that Sharia law does not bother anyone and that the instructions are already there in the Quran. Every Muslim conforms to the Quran, and anyone who refuses is not a good Muslim. Who could reject the Quran? Any Muslim can be queried about whether or not they comply with the Quran’s teachings. If you don’t want to, switch your religion. How are we to commit to anything else?”
Notably, Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, gender, and sexual orientation. It has been in the election manifesto of the BJP for the past several years and recently 22nd Law Commission sought fresh suggestions from various stakeholders, including public and religious organisations, on the same.
ST Hasan is infamous for making outrageous assertions and provocative statements in an effort to attack the BJP. He recently blamed the government for spying on opposition leaders after an objectionable film started playing on a CCTV monitor installed at his Moradabad residence. He alleged that the government is using Pegasus to spy on them.
In 2021, he argued that the central BJP government’s interference with Islamic Sharia law during its seven years in power is to blame for the deaths brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. He expressed that the occurrence of two cyclonic storms in the space of ten days and the death toll from the coronavirus epidemic are the repercussions of the injustices committed by the administration.
In opposition to the Triple Talaq law in 2019, he voiced that an individual would become furious if he returned home to find his wife with another man. In that moment of rage, triple talaq is preferable to killing her or setting her ablaze. Endorsing Zaira Wasim’s decision to quit the film industry he stated that acting is the same as prostitution.