There is no fake kazis, high court order misinterpreted: All Assam Imam Council (AAIC)

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Imam Council (AAIC) on Sunday accused the office of the All Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registrars and Kazi Association of misinterpreting the recent judgment of the Gauhatu High Court and said the association is trying to create a false perception that fake kazis are ruling the roost in Muslim marriage system in Assam.

“First we like to clarify that there is no fake kazi. The Gauhati High Court has not mentioned the word “fake kazi” anywhere in its recent order. Many NGOs including the AAIC have been empowered by the State Government to appoint kazis to solemnize Muslim marriages and issue official certificates to married couples. But kazis appointed by such NGOs cannot registrar marriages and we do not do such thing. We only issue certificates that such and such marriages are solemnized,” Muji Uddin Mahmud, chief principal adviser of AAIC, said.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday Mahmud said it would be wrong to say that lakhs of married Muslim women are in trouble now after their marriage certificates issued by fake Kazis found legally invalid for various purposes including enrollment of names in the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“We are not responsible if Muslim women had submitted marriage certificate issued by us as a linkage document along with the NRC application. Marriage certificates issued by AAIC and other NGOs do not confirm official marriage registration. Marriage registration is done at the office of registrar. Probably such document might have been submitted by married women out of ignorance,” Mahmud said.

The Registrars and Kazi Association president Maulana Fakhruddin Ahmed Qasimi on Saturdat told reporters that issuance of marriage certificates by fake Kazis have put many Muslim women in great difficulties to get their names included in NRC, voters’ list, land records and passport.

Qasimi said all genuine Kazis appointed by the State Government under the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, are members of the office of the All Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registrars and Kazi Association. On the other hand Qasimi said fake Kazis are members of Muslim NGOs such as All Assam Imam Council, North East India Emarat-E-Shoria, Assam Tanzim-E- Aeimma, Assam Tanzim-E-Aimma Masjid and 20 other similar NGOs.

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