UP Shia Waqf Board in favour of Ram temple in Ayodhya

Lucknow, Oct 17: Construction of Ram temple in place of Babri mosque in Ayodhya was essential to ensure the safety and security of Muslim community and for maintaining national unity and communal harmony, said Chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board Waseem Rizvi here on Tuesday. Mr Rizvi told UNI that since the mosque was built by Mir Baqi, the Shia commander of Babur’s army, the Shia community has every right to administer the affairs of the mosque. He, however, emphasised that the Board was in favour of Ram temple construction. The Shia board chief said that during the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) he was silent on the matter due to political reasons, but pointed out that now he was free to comment on the Ram temple issue because a certain “freedom of expression” is prevailing in the country. While emphasising that even if the Supreme Court verdict comes in favour of Sunni Waqf Board, it would not be possible to reconstruct a mosque at the disputed site because despite the judiciary’s stance on the issue no one could stop the destruction of Babri mosque. Admitting that under Islamic laws, no individual or an organisation could be owner of a mosque, Mr Rizvi pointed out if a mosque becomes the bone of contention in a dispute, it is advisable that the community concerned should abandon the monument. In support of his stance on the mosque issue, he cited the example of Prophet Muhammad who had ordered the destruction of a mosque, and pointed out that there have been several fatwas regarding giving up of mosque if the structure is at the centre of a dispute. UNI