Shia board to meet President, PM Narendra Modi to raise concerns over UCC

LUCKNOW: The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) on Wednesday said a delegation of its members will meet the President and the Prime Minister against the possible implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The board held a meeting of its executive committee in Lucknow on Wednesday to raise issues of the Shia community and Muslims in the country.
A resolution was also passed on maintaining the status quo on the Places of Worship Act, 1991, so that the original and current nature of religious places, as on August 15, 1947, is not altered.The AISPLB demanded that the Centre should extend protection to minority religious structures.
The hijab row, transparency in operations of Husainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) and demand from the UP government to announce ‘aari-zardozi’ as an industry and help artisans, were also discussed. “Muslims are law-abiding citizens. No amendment should be made to the Constitution to our religious rights,” AISPLB said. “Status quo should be maintained in the Places of Worship Act, 1991. As for UCC, ours is a diverse country where Hindus and Muslims lived together for centuries. We will not let anyone disrupt this unity, said AISPLB national general secretary Maulana Yasoob Abbas. AISPLB president Maulana Saim Mehdi said, “Hijab, azaan and loudspeakers were not a problem till now but it has suddenly become a menace.”