SHILLONG:
All Islamic NGOs have recently formed the North East India Sharia Protection Forum (NEISPF), which seeks to fight for the causes of Muslims rights, rituals and Sharia.
The decision was taken by a gathering of intellectuals and Islamic scholars from various NGOs from North East India during a seminar on ‘Measures to safeguard Sharia Law in North East’ held at Murshidul Alom Memorial Hall, Last Gate, Guwahati.
The meeting was presided over by Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury Senior Advocate Gauhati High Court.
Sayeedullah Nongrum, former minister of Meghalaya and also president of Umshyrpi college, Dr Md. Irphan Ahamed, Principal Umshyrpi College, Ali Haidar Laskar, retired principal SS college Hailakandi, Abdul Waris Choudhury, Nurul Huda Choudhury were present as prominent guests in the seminar.
The NEISPF, as a united platform, was formed after taking into consideration the interference in the minority rights and the personal laws of the Muslim community and to mitigate the differences between various religious NGOs and to mitigate the gap between islamic scholars, Ulama and general educated people.
Islamic scholars from North Eastern States, Brahmaputra valley and Barak valley have also expressed their opinion to work together under the banner of this forum.
In his speech, Sayeedullah Nongrum emphasized the need to educate the children with islamic moral science to create a better generation, Janab Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury on the other hand stressed the necessity of the Muslim union to fight for the rights of the Muslim.
The aims and the objectives of the NEISPF will be to fight for the causes of Muslims rights, rituals and Sharia jointly whenever any interference will happen and also resolved to take all measures to protect Sharia law and the rights there under guaranteed by the constitution of India.
Dr Md Irphan Ahamed suggested some prominent and strategic role of the forum by reaching out to other Communities/Tribes in the region who are supposed to be engulfed by the looming Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
In his perspective, he was of the opinion that Muslims can take an active role in spreading awareness to and lobbying with other Communities/Tribes and thus a large-scale and formidable movement can be organized in the region against the impending UCC.
The meeting was convened by Adv.Abu Yousuf Choudhury where the young and renowned islamic scholar Mufti Mahbub Alom Barbhuiya, Moulana Sabir Hussain Choudhury Al azhari, Dr Mokhlisur Rahman, Adv Jainal Abdin, Md Firoz, Maulana Shams Ahmed, Adv.N Islam, Mufti Najmul Alom Barbhuya, Maulana Abu Sufian Qasimi, Mufti Abul Aslam Choudhury and many other intellectuals delivered their speeches on the issue.
Meanwhile, Adv. Abu Yousuf Choudhury has been elected as the president of the NEISPF, Mufti Mahbubul Alom Barbhuiya as Secretary General, Mna Sabir Hussain Choudhury Al Azhari as vice president and Dr Mokhlisur Rahman as joint secretary and adv. Jainal abedin as the treasurer.