Pics: Sphoorty Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jul 14: The city-based Islamic Cultural Centre plans to lead a wide-spread campaign to root out the evil of dowry prevailing in the society, as this problem has been plaguing all communities in India including Muslims. This was revealed by the office bearers of the centre, at a press conference held here on Wednesday July 14.
“Islam as a religion has no known concept of dowry. There is however, a mention about Mehr (gifts given by groom to bride during marriages). But, because of the concept of dowry that has got embedded in the families living in Karnataka Coast, a number of girls remain unmarried because of the inability of their parents to dole out large amounts of money as dowry. Many poor families are seen approaching a number of people for financial assistance, selling their assets and availing of loans for meeting dowry demand of grooms. Many people commit suicide, get killed, become mentally ill, or turn their lives into a perennial suffering, because of dowry menace. There are cases in which the relationship is ended because of non-payment of specified dowry in full,” they said.
The centre wants the Ulemas and leaders of Muslim society to take up activities like preaching the people to go for simple marriages, form area committees under the leadership of religious leaders or Kazis to enforce a common code in conducting marriages, and encouraging the youth to marry as per the tenets of Islam, without bending under pressure to demand dowry.
All India Sunni Ulema Union general secretary and patron of Islamic Cultural Centre, Kantapuram A P Abubakker Musliyar, Udupi district Kazi and Sunni Jamiyyatul Ulema state committee president, P M Ibrahim Musliyar Bekal, Karnataka State Sunni Youth Association’s leader, Abusufyan H Ibrahim Madani, chairman of Talent research Foundation, Abdul Ravoof Puttige, Islamic Cultural Centre general secretary, Mumtaz Ali, joint secretary, Hyder Partipaddy, treasurer, Usman Haji Mittur and Masid Pakhva Mutavalli, S M Rashid Haji, were present.