Straight answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Maulana Mirza Mohd Athar</span><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">, President, All India Shia Personal Law Board, On the need for a separate board for Shias</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What prompted you to set up a separate personal board for Shias?</span><br /><br />It was the indifferent attitude of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board towards the Shia community that prompted us to form a board of our own. So long as the AIMPLB was focussing on issues related to the personal law of Muslims,we had no problem with its functioning. The problem started only when the Board exceeded its brief and got involved in politics. It started interfering in the electoral process, but never really bothered to resolve the problems facing our community. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">If this were the case, then why didn''t you raise any objection? You could have surely brought the issue to the notice of Maulana Kalbe Sadiq who, besides being the vice-president of the AIMPLB, also happens to be a prominent Shia cleric.</span><br /><br />We did voice our concerns, but instead of resolving the issue, certain members of the AIMPLB labelled us zionists. They said that we were agents of the BJP and that our sole purpose was to create a rift amongst Muslims. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Shia clerics like Maulana Kalbe Sadiq and Maulana Kalbe Jawwad are with the AIMPLB, while Maulana Agha Roohi and Maulana Hamidul Hasan didn''t turn up at the Bara Imambara where you announced the formation of the new board. Does this imply that you don''t have the support of the majority of the Shia community?</span><br /><br />Both Maulana Kalbe Sadiq and Maulana Kalbe Jawwad are currently out of the country. They are widely respected in our community, which is why I have urged them to resign from the AIMPLB and join us. As for Maulana Agha Roohi and Maulana Hamidul Hasan, they couldn''t come because they had other preoccupations. However, Maulana Agha Roohi has given us a letter extending his support. </div> </div>