Sunni Barelvi clerics start Shariat Bachao Andolan against Uniform Civil Code

BAREILLY: Sunni Barelvi clerics on Friday began preparing to organize what they are calling a ‘Shariat Bachao Andolan’. As part of this, they will prepare a plan on how to oppose the proposed Uniform Civil Code and the Centre’s efforts to ban triple talaq.
The clerics have begun a signature campaign both online and offline, demanding “protection of Muslim personal law as guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and protest Uniform Civil Code”.
The Shariat Bachao Andolan has been started under the banner of All India Jamat Raza-E-Mustafa, a social organisation. The clerics associated with this campaign distributed 5,000 forms in Bareilly on Friday and also launched a website www.almindia.com/sbandalon to make people register their objection to the UCC.
“Our aim is to get 5 lakh forms filled within a week. A form can have signatures of 14 persons who declare that they want freedom of religion granted in the Indian Constitution and do not want the Uniform Civil Code,” said Maulana Shahbudeen Razvi, general secretary of the organisation.
Addressing a crowd of over 2,000, which raised slogans against the Centre, at Eidgah ground, Razvi said, “On the direction of RSS, the Modi government wants to communalise the country to provide benefit to BJP in UP assembly elections. When the Constitution has given the right to all religions and sects to follow the law on the basis of their faith, books and culture, why is the government after triple talaq? They have no right to interfere in our law and we will oppose it at every level.”
He added that such meetings will be organised at many cities, including Lucknow and Delhi, to create awareness about the campaign.
Maulana Asjad Raza Qadri who is president of the organisation and also city qazi, said, “After the Modi government came into power, it has been continuously playing with the feelings of Muslims. We will do our best to ensure the agenda of RSS and Modi fails.”
Mufti Asfaq Qadri, who was present at the meeting, said, “I request other minority communities, including Jains, Sikhs and Parsis to support us in defeating Modi’s scheme of interfering with our Shariat law. If other minority communities remain quiet, the Centre will soon target them.”