Disputed mosques:UP Shia waqf board chief kicks up storm

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chief Waseem Rizvi on Friday renewed his suggestion to the All India Muslim Personal Board that community members desist from offering 'namaz' at nine disputed mosques.Mr Rizvi claimed that there are at least nine disputed religious places across the country-four in Uttar Pradesh, two in Gujarat and one each in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. 

Besides the Babri masjid, in question, Mr Rizvi said were Keshav Dev temple in Mathura, Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Atal Dev in Jaunpur (all in Uttar Pradesh), Rudra Mahalaya in Batna and Bhadrakali in Ahmedabad (both Gujarat), Adina in Pandua (Bengal), Vijaya in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha and Kuvutul Islam Qutub Minar Delhi.

Mr Rizvi contradicted the claim of some Muslim organisations that Shia board has not been included in the list of the parties accepted by the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya dispute.In a statement, the maverick leader pointed out that the Board's name is in the 50th place in the list issued by the apex court."Some section of Muslims are trying to create confusion by circulating reports that Shia Waqf board name was not in the list of the parties in the Ayodhya matter accepted by the Supreme Court," Mr Rizvi alleged.

He shot off a letter to Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadvi, the AIMPLB chairman, to stop Muslims from offering namaz at these sites since they are disputed.Mr Rizvi affirmed that there was adequate historical evidence to prove that these mosques were constructed forcibly by the Muslim rulers on lands belonging to Hindu temples.

The Shia Waqf Board chairman pointed out that Islamic laws do not allow construction of a mosque on a land grabbed by destroying other religious structures. 'Prayers offered at such mosques are not accepted under Quran and Sharia,' he added.'Will you approve offering of namaz at a mosque which is built on the land of other religion?' Mr Rizvi questioned Maulana Nadvi, considered one of the most eminent Islamic scholars in the country.

Mr Rizvi had earlier staked claim on the disputed land in Ayodhya and offered to surrender it to Hindus.UPSCWB had affirmed that several mosques in Mathura, Varanasi and other places were built by Muslim rulers after destroying temples built there.The Shia Board chief had urged the Board to surrender nine religious places to Hindus, including Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya.Mr Rizvi's demand came a day after Art of Living Foundation guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar made a similar statement in Varanasi and Gorakhpur urging Muslims to hand over Babri mosque land to Hindus. 

'Besides these nine mosques, there are scores of other masjids in the country which were built in a similar manner and should be handed over to Hindus as well,' Mr Rizvi demanded.Shia Board had submitted an agreement in the Supreme Court in which it had offered to surrender disputed land in Ayodhya to Hindus for the construction of Ram temple and shifting of the mosque to Hussainabad in Lucknow. (UNI)