Clerics to sensitise Muslim community on female foeticide

From now on while giving a religious discourse from the mosques during prayers, Muslim clerics would also have an important message to give - stop female foeticide, save girl child.

In a bid check the increasing number of cases of female foeticide among Muslims the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has taken an initiative wherein awareness would be created among community people on social evils like female foeticide.

"In the Islamic law female foeticide is equivalent to murder and is a crime. People should be aware with it," member of the AIMPLB and Naib Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firani Mahali told PTI.

He said people's lack of knowledge regarding importance given to women in Islam had resulted in a social evil like female foeticide.

"To end this social evil and to create awareness among Muslims, it has been decided that Imams will give the message of saving girl child from mosques during prayers, specially those held on Jumma (Friday)," Firangi Mahali said.

This could be an effective and easy way to propogate the idea and sensitise the people of the community, he said.

In the first phase the campaign would be launched from big cities, where Imams would be prepared to give this special
message.

"In the next stage this campaign would be extended to districts and later on to block and tehsil level. Our effort would be to reach maximum number of people and raise the issue," the AIMPLB member said.

He said if required special conventions of Imams would also be organised at block and tehsil level.

The issue was raised prominently during the three-day annual convention of the board and it was decided that to sensitise Muslims on female foeticide a full fledged publicity campaign should be launched.

"During the convention, which was attended by prominent religious leaders from all over the country, it was decided that the Imams would present Sahari (Islamic Law) view on the issue of female foeticide in their Takreers (speech) during prayers," he said.

"While discussing measures to protect rights of Muslims, deliberations were also held on as how to check social evils in the community like female foeticide and dowry," Firangi Mahali added.