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SC stays blanket ban on ‘fatwas’ by religious bodies
New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday put on hold the Uttarakhand High Court order imposing a blanket ban on the issuance of ‘fatwas’ by the religious bodies.
The bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta stayed the High Court order on a petition by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind challenging the High Court order.
Senior advocate Raju Ramachandra, appearing for Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, told the bench that ‘fatwa’ is arguably one of Islam’s most misunderstood words. “Fatwas are not a restrictive or punitive device as is often made out to be.”
The High Court had imposed a blanket ban on the ‘fatwas’ after it took suo motu cognizance of newspaper reports which said that a panchayat in Haridwar had asked a 15-year-old rape victim and her family to compromise with the accused or leave the village.
Taking note of the diktat of the panchayat, the High Court had said: “The panchayat, instead of sympathising with the rape victim, had the audacity to extern the family from the village. Fatwa is nothing but extra-constitutional adventurism, not permissible under the Constitution.”
The PIL filed by the petitioner organisation had contended that the “High Court has erred in treating the said afarman’ as a ‘fatwa’ because even from the perusal of the news item it transpires that the ‘farman’ issued by the panchayat was neither a ‘fatwa’ nor it was issued by the Darul Ifta or a Mufti on any religious issue.
Quoting Maulana Abdul Khalik Madrasi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband, the petition states that a ‘fatwa’ is an “advice or an opinion”.
“It is given in response to questions asked by an individual on a personal or religious matter. It is not binding. Whether the person who sought the advice follows it or not is his or her wish,” said the petition quoting Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Abdul Khalik Madrasi.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.