Predictably this news missed a lot of well deserved press coverage !
AIMPLB: Inter-faith marriage ‘regretful,’ is banned in Sharia
LUCKNOW: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday said that marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims was 'regretful' and 'unfortunate'.
The document issued by the acting general secretary of AIMPLB, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, further highlighted steps that parents, guardians and representatives of mosques and madrassas across the country should take to stop such inter-religion marriages.
"Islam does not consider marriage between a Muslim and a non-Muslim who are plythesists, as valid. Even if it appears to be valid by societal standards, it is not considered legal in the eyes of Sharia," said Maulana Rahmani.
"Due to co-working spaces, lack of religious teaching and nurturing from parents, a number of inter-religion marriages with non-Muslims are taking place. We have come across several such cases where
Muslim girls who went away with non-Muslim boys, have later had to face tremendous hardships or even lose their lives. This is why we have issued an appeal for parents, guardians and responsible pillars of our society to stay vigilant and help young boys and girls," he added.
In the seven-point directive to the Muslim community, the board has said that parents should be watchful of the use of mobile phones by their children and not admit their children, especially girls in co-education schools.
It further asks Imams of the mosques to take Friday sermons and clerics to hold gatherings on teachings of the religion on marriage within the Muslim community and about the loss incurred from it in the herafter.
"Generally when such marriages take place, a notice is put up outside the marriage registry office with their names. It is an appeal to religious organisations, social workers, madrasa teachers and other responsible citizens, to visit the homes of these youngsters to motivate them against falling into a fit of passion. Not just after death but in life, too, such marriages of momentary passions are falling apart," the document read.
The appeal further
asked parents not to delay marriage of their children, especially girls since "late marriages give rise to more such problems." It also asked for weddings to be solemnised in simplicity.
If anyone could translate that would be very useful !