Stage set for AIMPLB meet from today

Hyderabad: The stage is set for the three-day 26th plenary session of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), a representative organisation of Muslims of all schools of thought, and all the organisations of Indian Muslims, in Hyderabad from Friday.
The conference will begin with a Working Committee session on Friday evening at the Salar-e-Millat auditorium in the Owaisi Hospital complex.

It is here that the issue of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill of 2017, popularly known as the instant Triple Talaq will be taken up for discussion. It is on the top of the agenda.

Addressing the media on Thursday, AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Syed Khaleel-ur-Rahman Sajjad Noamani, said that the bill was full of serious lacunae and flaws and if those were removed, the Board is willing to accept the Bill. “Board is not against the bill but there are lacunae which violate the constitution and fundamental rights”, he said.

His strongest objection to the bill was that it surreptitiously and cleverly seeks to ban not only the instant triple talaaq, but also the institution of talaaq itself.

“The Attorney General (AG) has told the Supreme Court bench during the hearing of the case that once this bill is cleared, the government will take steps to prohibit all forms of talaaq. This statement left the Supreme Court judges surprised and when they asked what the option before a Muslim husband will be if he wants to give Talaaq. To which, the AG replied that the government will pass an act later”.

Maulana Noumani said that it was a matter of shame that such a dangerous law was being sought to pass in the country which violates constitution, fundamental rights of the citizens and the women and child rights act.

When asked about the possibility of AIMPLB talking to the government or the Prime Minister, Maulana Nomani said that soon after the matter came to light, the Board held an emergency meeting and wrote to the Prime Minister seeking an appointment to discuss the matter. “But such was his autocratic attitude that PMO did not give any reply to the letter”.

He urged all the political parties to go by their own conscience and come out against the bill. He thanked those parties, including partners of NDA, who, after meeting with the AIMPLB members understood the issue and opposed the bill.

The plenary will be held in three sittings on Saturday and Sunday, which will be attended by more than 500+ delegates. These will include scholars, intellectuals and representatives of Muslim organisations.

Maulana Noumani said that AIMPLB will also discuss the progress of the codification work of Islamic Law in English and also discuss the work to explain the logic and rationale behind the Shariah law. “Once this is done, it will eliminate the misunderstandings about Islam among the other communities and all the justice loving people will like the Islamic Family law”.