JEDDAH, 27 June 2005 — All-India Muslim Personal Law Board member Zafaryab Jilani said the fight for rebuilding and restoration of the historic Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was legal in all respects.
Addressing a seminar on Babri Masjid organized by the Al-Ittihad Foundation, Jeddah over the weekend, Jilani said: “We are fighting for something that is legally ours and which was destroyed illegally on Dec. 6, 1992. Muslims of India have full faith in the Indian judiciary and are sure that the law courts will put an end to the controversy.”
Jilani, who is also the convener of the Babri Masjid Action Committee, said Muslims in India drew strength from the country’s secular character.
“Secularism has given us the strength to fight a legal battle. Because we are right, prominent Hindu lawyers have been fighting on our behalf,” he said, pointing specifically to the crucial role played in the courts by the well-known lawyer and politician Siddharth Shankar Ray. “S.S. Ray never took a penny from us for fighting the case. Not only that, he paid his fare for flying from Delhi to Lucknow,” Jilani said.
The country’s constitution, Jilani said, guarantees all minorities complete protection. “The problem arises when the law-enforcement agencies exceed their brief. There are communal elements everywhere and it is these communal elements who make life difficult for members of minority communities.”
Jilani thanked the expat community in Jeddah for organizing the seminar on the Babri Masjid and said the fight for justice would continue.
“We continued our struggle even during the worst period of the Bharatiya Janata Party rule. We are happy that the party has been voted out. It is the secular Hindu that needs to be applauded for this historic change and this fact is not lost on Muslims,” he added.
Suhail Raza, who anchored the evening, said ties between Indians and Pakistanis have always been excellent. Addressing a sizable number of Pakistanis that evening, he said: “We have always been very close; we always shared our problems. Now that the politicians are shaking hands it is making news. Politicians on both sides were responsible for vitiating the atmosphere and as a result, ordinary folks on both sides suffered immensely.”
Basha Nawaz Khan, a community member, said: “Jilani has done a big service to the Indian Muslim community by sticking to his stand.”
Suhail Raza read out Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena’s article on the Babri Masjid written after its demolition. The article, which has been widely appreciated, is part of a compilation by Professor S.A.H. Haqqi entitled, “Secularism Under Siege: The Ayodhya Tragedy.”
Earlier, prominent poets from Jeddah recited poems on the tragedy of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The poets included Mukhtar Ali, Amjad Baloch, Ather Nafees Abbasi, Naeem Bazidpuri (his poem was recited by Amjad Baloch) and M. Mujahid Syed. The poetry session was anchored by Amjad Baloch. The highlight of the session was Muhammad Nawaz Janjua’s rendition of Iqbal’s poems which promote the concept of Islam’s greatness.
The evening came to a close with prayers by Bahjat Ayyub Zinjani. Talha Hashmi of the Al-Ittihad Foundation thanked members of the Indian and Pakistani community for making the evening a success.
