KOZHIKODE: Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (Markazudawa) has asked the government not to support any demand to amend the Sharia law to give equal inheritance to women. In a memorandum submitted to the chief minister, Markazudawa general secretary CP Umar Sullami said that no such demand has come from the Muslim community. Chief minister convened an online meeting on August 19 to discuss the issue after the Supreme Court sought the opinion of the states in a case filed by the Quran Sunnath Society. The plea of the petitioner was that the Sharia law should be amended to give equal rights for inheritance for Muslim women.
Sullami said any attempt to amend the Sharia law in the name of gender equality should be opposed. “As per Article 13 of the Constitution, all laws prevalent in the country before Independence should be protected. The Muslim Personal Law of 1937 came into being before Independence and therefore the law cannot be amended unless there is a demand from the Muslim community,” Sullami said.
He added that according to Article 25 of the Constitution, Muslims have the right to practise the laws of inheritance as per the Sharia. Islam is the first religion that allowed inheritance to women and so the averment in the petition stems from total ignorance of Islam, he said.The Markazudawa leader said inheritance is not a charity programme in Islam.
“Inheritance is decided according to the responsibilities envisaged by the religion. Male members are duty-bound to protect the parents and the family. Girls do not have such responsibilities. Still, half of the inheritance entitled to men are given to women,” he said. “This being the situation, there is no merit in the petition that laws of inheritance in Islam is unjust. The petition filed by an organisation that has nothing to do with Islam does not deserve any consideration. Any affront on the Islamic Sharia should not be allowed,” the memorandum said.
The Markazudawa meeting held here on Saturday asked the government to consider the views of the organisation before replying to the Supreme Court query. Besides Sullami, president E K Ahamedkutty, Abdul Jabbar M, K P Abdurehman Sullami, N A M Abdul Jaleel, Abdul Latheef Karimpulakkal, Jabir Amani, Ruksana Vazhakkad and others attended.