The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said that it is working to establish Sharia courts in Muslim-majority areas across India. This comes days after the AIMPLB registered its objection against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) even as the Centre is merely in the process of collecting suggestions.
While speaking to a media channel about their plan of action on UCC, AIMPLB spokesperson Qasim Rasool Ilyas said, “We have more than 100 Sharia courts in India under AIMPLB. And there are several others running under Imarat-e-Sharia across states including Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, under Imara-e-Sharia Assam and Karnataka. Jamiat Ulema is also running Sharia courts.”
When asked if they are willing to suspend the Sharia courts, he said that these courts are a means to resolve issues in a “timely, easy, and affordable manner”. “We are planning to establish Sharia courts wherever there is a Muslim population,” said the AIMPLB spokesperson.
Interestingly, he said by establishing Sharia courts, the AIMPLB is attempting to reduce the burden on the Constitutionally-run Indian courts.
This is not the first time that the AIMPLB has issued such a statement. In 2018 too, the Muslim body had said it plans to open Darul-Qaza (Sharia courts) in all districts of the country.
Earlier on Thursday, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray to discuss their concerns about UCC.
Ilyas reportedly claimed that the Congress party assured that it will take cognizance of AIMPLB’s concerns and raise them in the Parliament. He claimed that Sharad Pawar said they are not in favour of UCC and only agree with the 21st Law Commission’s conclusion.
He added that Uddhav Thackeray was in favour of UCC but he said that UCC should be formed only with everyone’s consent and unless everyone’s consent is there, this should not happen.
The AIMPLB plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu to express their reservations against Uniform Civil Code.
Meanwhile, in a strange demand, the Muslim body has also said that all religious minorities be kept out of the purview of UCC. This was a day after it submitted its objections to the Law Commission.
On a more radical note, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has reportedly submitted its draft to the law commission saying that the Muslim personal law cannot be changed till the end of time.
Ever since Prime Minister Modi underlined the importance of the Uniform Civil Code on 27th June, the Opposition and Muslim bodies have been making a hue and cry about the same even as the draft is yet to be formulated.