Education bill angers Muslim board Read more below

| | Published 26.04.11, 12:00 AM

April 25: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has decided to oppose the government on a host of proposed laws, including the right to education, saying the UPA regime had overlooked minority concerns in key social, economic and legal policies.

Some of the other areas where the board, a representative body of various Muslim sects in the country, has decided to take on the Centre are taxes, Waqf property, adoption and what it called tacit acceptance of homosexuality.

The decision came at a two-day general body meeting of the board that concluded in Hyderabad last night. Over 200 community leaders took part in the session.

AIMPLB chief Maulana Rabey Nadvi opposed the introduction of the Right to Education Bill, 2009, saying it would make the functioning of madrasas difficult and infringe on the rights of minorities to run educational institutions.

The bill proposes to make schooling compulsory for every child between six and 14. Nadvi, rector of the noted Islamic seminary Dar-ul Uloom, Nadwa, Lucknow, said the bill recognised only one type of school and education and voiced apprehension that it could be used to outlaw madrasas imparting religious education.

The law board unanimously opposed the UPA’s Waqf Amendment Bill, 2010, saying many provisions of the proposed law were “against the interests” of the community.

The Muslim law board insiders said they were particularly exercised by Section 87, which makes registration of Waqf land mandatory. The fear is once such a plot is registered, the board will have no right to seek redress if a dispute arises.

The law board is also against some provisions of the Direct Tax Code Bill, which seeks to tax religious trusts, places of worship and donations received. The code is scheduled to come into effect from the next financial year.

On adoption, the board said it was prohibited in Islam. Therefore, a common law on adoption applicable to all citizens would amount to “alluring”, say, a childless Muslim couple to adopt, violating their religious tenets.

The law board also appealed to the Chief Justice of India to review the Delhi High Court judgment legalising consensual homosexual relationships.