The move of the Andhra Pradesh government to bring in reservation for Muslims through the ‘back door’ by creating caste-based reservation, has backfired, with several Muslim religious organisations opposing it.
As many as six venerable seminaries have issued ‘fatwas’ or edicts based on Islamic law against the move, stating that there is no caste system in Islam as all are equal, and any such division is unacceptable under Shariat.
“Muslims all over the world are equal. There is no distinction of caste, colour or race among them. Therefore, creating distinction among them for reservations is improper under Shariat,” said a ruling by Jamia Nizamia, the 125-year-old Islamic University based in Hyderabad. The ruling comes in the wake of half a dozen Muslim religious, political and social organisations banding themselves as a Muslim United Action Committee to oppose the government move.
The Committee had sought the opinion from seminaries and Muslim leaders rejected the government’s move, terming it as an attempt to create divisions among the community. They demanded reservation for the community on the basis of economic and educational backwardness and not on caste basis.
Committee Convener Aquil Hussami said the government’s move was nothing but an attempt to divide Muslims. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi urged the AP government to follow the Karnataka model in the issue which had made no social distinctions other than economic backwardness.
Voicing similar apprehensions, Mr Abdur Rahim Qureshi, president of Tameer-e-Millat and also the secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, warned that the move would have serious repercussions for the Congress government.
“Congress came to power with support from the Muslim community and by taking this step it will lose their support. We are not demanding reservations for all Muslims. We want reservations on the basis of backwardness by excluding the creamy layer,” he said.