Shariah: Ulema ask Muslims to boycott dowry lovers

June 30, 2008
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, June 29: Muslim religious scholars have given a call to the principal minority community in the country to socially boycott those Muslim families, which demand and accept dowry.
In their resolutions at the end of the two-day National Shariah Conference here on Sunday, the religious scholars with the backing of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board have appealed to Muslims not to take or give dowry and boycott those families, who violate the Islamic system of marriage.
"Islam prohibits dowry. Those who take or give dowry are going against the tenets of Shariah. Unless we boycott socially those who take or give dowry, this social evil will continue to plague the community," the Muslim leaders said.
Those who participated in the deliberations include Prof Saud Alam Qasmi of Aligarh Muslim University, Moulana Fuzail Rahman Hilal Usmani of Darus Salam Islamic Centre, Punjab, Abdur Rahim Qureshi, president of Tameer-e-Millat, Hyderabad, Moulana Wali
Rahmani, Dr Asma Zehra and Tahniyat Athar of Muslim Personal Law Board, Dr Rukshana Nikhat Lari, Dr Ayesha Hameed, and Nohera Shaikh.
The campaign against dowry will begin in Hyderabad and will extend to the rest of the country.
The Shariah Conference condemned the dowry system in the Muslim community. "Dowry is the root cause of bride burning and wife-beating. Innocent Muslim girls are becoming victim of dowry," one of the resolutions said.