Muslims can never tolerate the desecration of mosques, the All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board stated during its emergency virtual meeting. Apart from forming a legal committee to look into the Gyanvapi mosque issue, the law board also stated that communal forces were unleashing chaos, while the courts were disappointing the aggrieved.
The board’s executive committee had convened an emergency meeting online on Tuesday and discussed, at length, the attitude of “communal forces” on Gyanvapi, as well as various other mosques and buildings.
The most prominent opinion that came out of the meeting was that “forces of hatred” were spreading false propaganda, and were targeting Muslims’ holy places. The board was of the view that while this was happening, the Centre and the state governments, responsible for implementing the Constitution and the law, were behaving as mute spectators.
"The political parties that call themselves secular and just are silent, too," the Board stated, adding that the parties are not countering the propaganda the way they are expected to.
"The Gyanvapi issue reached court 30 years ago; ignoring the fact that there is a High Court stay, repeated suits have been filed, and issuance of court orders is disappointing and worrying," the Board said.
Keeping in view the Places of Worship Act of 1991, and its validation in judgment related to the Babri Masjid case, the Board has formed a legal committee to put its objection across more clearly. The committee will assess all cases related to the mosque and proceed with appropriate legal action, the board decided.
In the meeting, it was also decided that there was a need to initiate a peaceful mass movement and conduct public awareness campaigns on joint responsibilities for respect and protection of shrines and holy places.
The government should clarify its stand on the Places of Worship Act, the Board said. The board agreed that orators and scholars attached to mosques were to speak, over the next three weeks, about the importance of mosques and related issues during the Friday sermons.