JIH expresses deep concern over court verdict in Kamal Maula Masjid case
New Delhi: Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Syed Saadatullah Hussaini has expressed deep concern over the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s verdict declaring Kamal Maula Masjid a temple.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Syed Saadatullah Hussaini talking to media representatives in New Delhi said the verdict may have serious implications on the credibility of the judicial system, minority rights, religious freedom, communal harmony and the secular fabric of the country.
He said the verdict is against the protection of religious rights given in Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. For decades, the Bhojshala complex was run under an arrangement where people of both the sects used to perform their respective religious rituals.
Preferring another sect by eliminating the religious rights of Muslims not only affects administrative matters but also poses a serious threat to the equal rights of all religions. He said such sensitive issues need to be looked at carefully, especially in a multi-faceted society like India, where it is very important to maintain balance.
Syed Saadatullah Hussaini further said that the proposal to give alternative land to Muslims in exchange for an established mosque is also worrisome. Religious rights cannot be made a mere issue of location or transfer because places of worship are deeply connected to historical continuity, identity and collective memory, he added.
He said such measures that displace the minority community from historical religious places create a sense of deprivation and injustice in the society. He said the reliance of court decisions in sensitive cases on disputed historical evidence and archaeological interpretations is a cause for deep concern.
Syed Saadatullah Hussaini said such cases should be scrutinized carefully so that the claims of one party are not given undue priority. He said this decision cannot be seen in isolation from past decisions but is part of a broader trend in which disputes related to religious places are being rekindled.
He said the 1991 Places of Worship Act should be implemented immediately so that historical disputes do not get a chance to resurface.
The Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said the judiciary should not only be impartial but should also be seen to be impartial. He said the Muslim community will take all legal avenues in this regard.
