New Delhi: To create awareness about the evil practice of dowry, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Saturday launched a 10-day nationwide awareness campaign and urged the community to hold marriage ceremonies in mosques rather than in marriage halls.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahman, AIMPLB secretary, said, "The Social Reform Committee of AIMPLB has launched a campaign to make marriages simple, easy and prevent unnecessary ceremonies and customs, especially demands of dowry."
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Maulana Umrain, head of the campaign, said that an 11-point appeal has been issued by the Social Reforms Committee of AIMPLB, under which the Muslim scholars and imams of all mosques have been asked to state about Islamic decrees before Friday prayers in mosques, encourage simple wedding ceremonies; and make people aware of disadvantages of the vile rituals, especially exchange of dowry.
He said that during the 10-day campaign, we have asked the imams to form an area-centric committee and visit the families which are about to organise wedding ceremonies. The imams have been asked to encourage and guide people towards following Islamic teachings.
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"Women are usually at the forefront of performing the rituals of marriage. Therefore, separate gatherings will be held for women on the topic - 'happy and easy marriage', under which they will be informed by the ulemas both about the blessings of a good marriage and the disadvantages of useless rituals" he added.
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The body said that Muslims should hold wedding ceremonies in mosques as there is no concept of a baraat (groom's procession) in Islamic law.
"Instead of holding the marriage ceremony in the wedding hall, Muslims should organise them in mosques. This will automatically end many rituals."
The AIMPLB drive comes nearly a month after a woman from Ahmedabad killed herself allegedly due to dowry harassment.
