Averring that 'some extremist organisations' have besmirched the image of Islam, the All-India Shia Personal Law Board on Sunday sought the intervention of President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for political and social justice to the community.
It condemned terrorism in all its forms, whether in India or any other part of the world, and asked to be recognised as a separate minority group.
'Both leaders basically belong to minorities. Naturally, they may have a soft corner for the grievances of minorities to give us political and social justice by intervening with the exercise of their special powers', the board said in a resolution.
Board President Mirza Mohammad Athar sought recognition of the Shias as a separate minority group. "We, being a sub-minority of Muslims, have our own problems and now it has become inevitable that we must be recognised by the government as a separate Shia minority to avail the minority rights guaranteed in the Constitution," he told the first national meeting of the board here.
"The terrorist activities of some extremist organisations have tarnished the real and radiant picture of Islam of compassion and brotherhood," the resolution said.
The board took an initiative to end 'misunderstanding' about Islam; it said the community has been a victim of political and social 'injustice' for a long time and was deprived of adequate representation in state assemblies and legislative councils.
'They are also ignored in providing para-political posts like president, chairman and secretaries of diferent boards and corporations', it said and sought immediate stopping of 'such unreasonable dealings'
The resolution also demanded a separate Shia Waqf Board in all the states and distribution of Arabic language scholarships to minority institutions as per the proportion of their population.
Athar asked 'especially those political parties who are known extremists and communal, to change their views about Muslims. To call the biggest minority group of citizens anti-national is not just'.
Athar said those disrupting social harmony and spreading hatred should be dealt with firmly and the law amended, if required, in this regard.
