Taking exception to reports about the Law Commission considering proposals for reforms in Muslim family law, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has termed it an “ill-motivated” move to pave the way for the enactment of a uniform civil code of the Shari’ah laws. The AIMPLB Executive Committee, which met on July 6 to discuss the issue, said: “The Board is totally opposed to codification of uniform Shari’ah law as it will empower the state to alter, change, amend, add and delete rules of Shari’ah.”
Terming such proposals “ill-advised”, it said, “These measures have been suggested to pave the way for enactment of Uniform Civil Code and to deprive Muslims of their fundamental right to get family disputes settled according to the rules of Shari’ah.”
It asked the Law Ministry and Law Commission to outright reject such proposals and publicly declare that there is no such move and that the government and Commission have no intention to effect any changes in Muslim Personal Law.
Law Commission member Tahir Mahmood, who prepared the draft reports, clarified that there was no proposal before the Commission for recommending any such measure as would pave the way for a uniform civil code in the country or for the enactment of a uniform code of Muslim law.