Mumbai: The Federation of Maharashtra Muslims held a consultative meeting in the city, bringing together political, social, religious, and legal representatives to discuss the proposed Uniform Civil Code and anti-conversion law in Maharashtra. Despite differences of opinion on certain aspects of the UCC, participants reached a common conclusion: the government’s intentions are questionable, and its approach targets a specific religious community in a manner that contradicts the Constitution.
Chairing the meeting, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vice President, Malik Moatasim Khan addressed the gathering with clarity. He acknowledged the need for internal reform within the Muslim community but drew a firm line on religious law. “The commandments given to us in the Quran and Hadith are non-negotiable. They are divine instructions, and belief in them is part of our faith,” he said.
A social activist present at the meeting summed up the collective position of participants: “We are not against equality. We stand with justice. We stand with the Constitution. Any major legislation should be framed only after listening to the voices of minorities, Dalits, and the Bahujan community. That is our position.”
The meeting had a clear objective: to chart a course for building public opinion against these proposed laws. To that end, participants agreed to form a committee of fifteen to twenty members. The committee will focus entirely on the UCC, alert the government to its flawed decisions, and submit formal recommendations. Details of the committee’s composition will be shared with all participants after its formation.
A ten-page draft document was also distributed at the meeting, particularly to the lawyers present. After incorporating feedback and revisions from participants, the document will be submitted to retired Justice Ranjana Desai, who heads the Maharashtra UCC Committee.
The meeting saw participation from Senior Supreme Court Advocate Yusuf Hatim Muchala, FMM Secretary Abdul Mujeeb Shaikh, JIH Maharashtra Vice President, Abdul Haseeb Bhatkar, JIH Mumbai Nazim, Humayun Shaikh, Maulana Ausaf Falahi, Mufti Huzaifa, Dr. Munira Qureshi, Maulana Nizamuddin Fakhruddin, Advocate Hooriya Patel, Advocate Elaine, Sardar Sukhwinder Singh, Chenika Shah, Sarfaraz Arzu, Dolphy D’Souza, Monsia Bushra, Irfan Engineer, Maulana Mahmood Daryabadi, Advocate Korde, FMM Secretary Shakir Shaikh and dozens of other social workers, human rights activists, and religious representatives.
