Mumbai: Islamic scholars, clerics and law-makers join hands to demand Muslim reservation

Mumbai: In a mega initiative, leading Islamic scholars, clerics and law-makers will come together under one umbrella in Mumbai to further the demand for reservation of Muslims in education and jobs and spearhead the cause of political reservation for the minority community.

With 30 to 40 MPs and MLAs - cutting across party lines joining hands - the event would mark a red-letter day for taking up the burning issues of Muslims. 

The Muslim Leadership Summit 2024, being hosted by Muslim Welfare Association, on August 10, 2024, Saturday, would be an important event as it comes just after the Lok Sabha polls and ahead of a series of assembly elections. 

This significant event will serve as a platform for comprehensive discussions on critical issues affecting the Muslim community, including welfare, reservation, safety, and security,” said Saleem Sarang, the founder of Muslim Welfare Association.

The summit would be addressed and guided by internationally-renowned Islamic scholar Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani Sahab - who is a pillar of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Janab Tauqeer Raza Khan Sahab.

There would be panel discussions on issues like the need for strong Muslim leadership to take up the causes of the community, political representation of Muslims in the upcoming Assembly elections in four states and addressing the burning issue of Muslim atrocities and measures for community resilience and empowerment.

“We would be debating the current reservation policies and advocating for equitable representation in various sectors. This is an important issue. In the matter of education, the Muslim community is still backward due to economic constraints and figures speak for themselves. As many as 75 percent of children aged six to 14 miss out on education within the first few years of school. Only two to three percent of children receive higher education. The proportion of Muslims below the poverty line is also high. This ratio is two to two and a half percent in government jobs as well as private jobs. Drug addiction and criminality are increasing among uneducated, unemployed Muslim youth. The root cause of all this is education,” said Sarang.