Shehr qazi scoffs at boycott

Lucknow, Sep 6 (UNI) Lucknow Shehr qazi and president of People's Democratic Front (PDF) Abul Irfan Firangi Mahali today scoffed at his boycott by a group of muftis and ulemas for criticising the fatwa of a Moradabad qazi terminating the marriages in a village.

Talking to reporters here, the qazi said he was not perturbed by the boycott. ''Such boycotts have no meaning...more such steps would be initiated against me. But, I would continue serving the people,'' he added.

Ulemas and maulanas of Sunni Barelvi jamat had boycotted the Lucknow shehr qazi for differing on a fatwa issued by a Moradabad cleric declaring marriages of a village void for offering prayers led by a cleric of the Deoband sect.

The Barelvi ulemas announced their decision and said people would henceforth not take his (Maulana Irfan's) announcement on sighting of moon into consideration.

Maulana Irfan had criticised the fatwa issued by mufti-e-shehr (Moradabad) mufti Abdul Mannan Kalimi in which he had declared all those who had attended the 'namaz-e-janaza' led by a maulana of Deoband sect, as non-Muslims and had termed their marriages as void.

Mufti Kalimi said his fatwa was not a mere opinion but a decree given in the light of the holy Quran. ''People, who deliberately attended the namaz led by a deoband mufti stand to lose their marriages and have to solemnise the Kalma again. But, those who attended the prayers without the knowledge were not effected,'' he clarified.

Defending his fatwa, he said the decree was issued in the light of a similar decree issued by a respected Sunni leader Maulana Ahmed Raza a 100 yrs ago.

Those effected by the fatwa were made to read the Kalma again and re-marry their wives.

He said the Deobandis had published certain books in which Paigambar-e-Islam and the Allah were insulted. ''Therefore, we do not consider them as Muslims.'' UNI NAB VS VA DS1637