Give the prominent roles to women.Let new leadership emerge
Close on the heels of recent meeting of top Muslim leadership in New Delhi in wake of controversial the Citizenship Amendment Bill bill (CAA) and impending NRC, It was called upon the protesters across the country to remain cautious and ensure that anti-social elements and opponents do not divert the protest or turn it violent.
The top leaders of India’s largest Muslim organizations have decided to jointly launch “an organized campaign” against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Law which discriminates with Muslims on the basis of religion.
“We strongly condemn the Citizenship (Amendment) Law and consider it against the fundamental structure of the Constitution and constitutional values. We appeal to all peace-loving people of the country to oppose this law and put pressure on the government to withdraw it,” said the Muslim leaders in a resolution passed at the emergency meeting held Monday night in Delhi.
The leaders had gathered at the call of Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. They included: Maulana Mahmood Madani (Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind), Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan (Ittehad-e-Millat Council), Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan (Delhi Minorities Commission), Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam (All India Milli Council), Navaid Hamid (All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat), Maulana Shees Taimi (Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees), Dr. SQR Ilyas (All India Muslim Personal Law Board), Mohammad Jafar (Jamaat-e-Islami Hind), Maulana Niyaz Ahmad Farooqui ((Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind)), Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood (Zakat Foundation of India), Kamal Farooqui ((All India Muslim Personal Law Board)), Mujtaba Farooque (Jamaat-e-Islami Hind) and Abdul Jabbar Siddiqui (Jamaat-e-Islami Hind).
The meeting took place two days after police crackdown on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University who were protesting against the controversial citizenship law. The police action led to widespread protests at several universities across the country.At the Monday meeting, Muslim leaders passed a resolution denouncing the police action at Jamia Millia and AMU. They applauded the students for peacefully and democratically protesting against the discriminatory law.
Let us hope that so called Muslim leadership will some show gust and Wisdom in this hour of crisis.
All these drive home the point that not 25 crore Indian Muslims have no leadership at all. They are a vote bank used by religious and political leaders but rarely, if ever, see through this facade. The charitable view would be that Muslim organisations in India and their leadership is in a quandary. In past on many occasion like TT act, Kahmir and Babri Masjid verdict, some unknown reasons force them to remain silent despite the community’s wishes. Whatever the case, this tightrope walk has left Muslims high and dry -in the country.
New citizenship law, passed by the Parliament last Tuesday, will grant citizenship to only non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who are living in India. The new law has removed several restrictions including requirement of document to grant citizenship to the people from Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi communities. Muslims are apprehensive that when the government will start nationwide process for updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), Muslims will be held for any lack of documents while others will get through thanks to the new citizenship law.(Mr. Abdul Hafiz lakhani is the editor of Ahmedabad based website www.siyasat.net)
