In the interview to News18, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan further said even Muslim kings who ruled Delhi “did not enact a Muslim law”. (PTI/File)
Supporting the much-debated proposal to bring in a Uniform Civil Code in the country, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in an exclusive interview to News18, said the objective is not to create uniformity of customs but “uniformity of justice”
If Muslim Personal Law is so integral to practising Islam, why is there no fatwa on Muslims against living in countries that don’t allow for such personal laws, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan asked during an exclusive interview with News18.
Supporting the much-debated proposal to bring in a Uniform Civil Code in the country that would be applicable to all citizens of India regardless of their religion in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption among other personal matter, Khan said the objective is not to create uniformity of customs but “uniformity of justice”.
“If Muslim Personal Law is so integral to the practice of Islam, why don’t Muslims take a stand and issue a fatwa that no one from the community should live in countries where this law is not implemented? Why does everyone want to run to the US or Europe where there are no personal laws? Muslims can live as Muslims in the US and UK or in Pakistan without personal law, but India is the only exception where they cannot if personal law is not there,” he told News18.
Seeking to dismiss “propaganda” around the debate, the Kerala Governor said: “It is not the objective of the law to create uniformity of customs, or uniformity of solemnisation of marriage. The propaganda that is being spread against UCC is that if it comes into effect, Muslim marriage cannot be solemnised through nikah.”
“This law is concerned with uniformity of justice. We don’t want people to follow the same customs or rituals. India, which is aspiring to be a world power, should have uniformity in justice. I want the same justice for the same issue, irrespective of religion,” he added.
He further said even Muslim kings who ruled Delhi “did not enact a Muslim law”.
“It was the British who did so. Right from the time the British came here, they asserted that India was not a nation but a conglomeration of communities. I don’t think there is much confusion among common Muslims.”
Hitting back at the Governor for his comments, Indian Union Muslim League MP ET Muhammed Basheer said the UCC is not something that affects only the Muslim community.
“Those who want to portray that it affects only the Muslim community have other interests. There are several communities in this vast country who will be affected. Even now, nobody is being forced to follow the personal laws. If somebody doesn’t want to follow, they can choose not to follow it,” he said.
Muslim organisations in Kerala had appeared to be staunchly against the Centre’s push for Uniform Civil Code, with the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama — a Sunni-Shafi’i scholarly body — on Sunday indicating its opposition to the proposed law.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, too, has termed the UCC as an “electoral agenda” and urged the Centre to withdraw from its move to impose it.
In the wake of the opposition to UCC from various quarters in Kerala, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan on Saturday appealed to the Muslim community in Kerala not to fall for the “propaganda” mounted by the ruling CPI(M) and others against the UCC.
He claimed that the Centre’s move to implement the UCC was not with an eye on the general elections scheduled to be held next year.
