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| Bangladesh | |
| SC begins hearing on fatwa verdict | |
| 2011-03-02 | |
[Bangla Daily Star] The Appellate Division yesterday started hearing a long overdue appeal against a High Court verdict that declared fatwa (religious edict) illegal.
On January 1, 2001, the HC declared all punishments imposed in the name of fatwa illegal. The verdict came following a hearing on a suo moto rule issued earlier by the court after a newspaper report on Hilla marriage (marriage with a third person). Human rights organisations Bangladesh Mahila Gay Pareehad and Ain O Salish Kendra argued against fatwa before the HC. The same year, Mufti Mohammad Toyeeb and Abul Kalam Azad filed the mentioned appeal against the HC verdict with the SC. Yesterday, Dr Kamal Hossain placed a submission before the apex court on behalf of the rights organisations saying that misuse of religion has to be stopped and the constitutional and fundamental rights of people have to be upheld. Creating disputes over religion is not acceptable, he said. Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... Nazrul Islam, the counsel for Toyeeb and Abul Kalam, told the court that fatwa is a part and parcel of Islam and it has been a long-standing social practice. Fatwa is based on Allah and the holy Koran, he argued. The SC on February 14, appointed 10 senior lawyers as amici curiae (friends of court) for their expert opinion on the appeal against the HC verdict. They are TH Khan, Rafique-ul Huq, Mahmudul Islam, M Zahir, Rokanuddin Mahmud, AF Hasan Arif, MI Farooqui, ABM Nurul Islam, Rabia Bhuiyan and Tania Amir. | |
| Posted by:Fred |