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Can build Babri Mosque away from Mandir: Shia body

In an affidavit, he said that the Babri Masjid site was its property and only it was entitled to hold negotiations for an amicable settlement of the dispute.

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The Shia body said, “Closeness of places of worship, i.e, Masjid and Mandir, should be avoided
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In a move that could result in peaceful solution to the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute, the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh told the Supreme Court a mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominated area at a "reasonable distance" from the disputed site in Ayodhya. Syed Waseem Rizvi, Chairman of UP Shia Central Board of Waqfs, disputed the claim of Sunni Waqf Board over the area.

In an affidavit, he said that the Babri Masjid site was its property and only it was entitled to hold negotiations for an amicable settlement of the dispute.

It has also sought setting up of a committee for exploring an amicable resolution of the vexatious issue.

The 30-page affidavit also says that the Sunni Central Waqf Board was under the dominant control of Sunni "hardliners, fanatics and non-believers in peaceful co-existence who have absolutely no stake in the present case."

The affidavit assumes significance as it has been filed within a few days of the apex court agreeing to fast-track the hearing on a batch of appeals challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict on the land dispute in the case.

This is the first time a front-line Muslim organisation has supported the demand of various Hindu bodies on the Ayodhya issue. It has often been suggested by some Hindu organisations that Ram temple should be allowed to be constructed at the disputed site while a mosque could be built at a distance away from the area.

Favouring the construction of the mosque at a "reasonable distance" from the site, the Shia body said, "Closeness of places of worship, i.e, Masjid and Mandir of the two litigating denominations, should be avoided in as much as both denominations using loud speakers tend to disturb religious performances of each other, often leading to conflicts, bringing acrimony in the two factions."

"Answering respondent (Shia Board) is also of the view that, to bring quietus, masjid can be located in a Muslim-dominated area at a reasonable distance from the most revered place of birth of Maryada Purshottam Sri Ram," the affidavit says.

Assailing the stand of the Sunni Central Waqf Board, it said, "...since Babri Masjid was a Shia Waqf Board property, Shia Central Waqf Board UP alone is entitled to negotiate and arrive at a peaceful settlement with other remaining stakeholders."

It sought setting up of the committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, two retired judges of Allahabad High Court, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister or his nominee and a nominee from the office of the Prime Minister.
It said that Shia Central Waqf Board's nominee and a representative each from Nirmohi Akhara and Hindu sect shall make suggestions and proposals for amicable settlement before the committee.

The Shia Board, one of the parties in the pending appeals in the apex court, referred to the Allahabad High Court judgment and said that it has been held that "Muslims" should get not less that one-third of the disputed area.

"By saying 'Muslims', the High Court obviously meant 'Shias', since the High Court rejected the claim of the Sunni Board that Babri Masjid was a Sunni Waqf. The High Court having held that Babri Masjid is a waqf, rejected the claim of Sunni Board that it was Sunni waqf claimed on the basis of notification dated February 16, 1944, by the Chief Commissioner of Waqfs under the Muslim Waqfs Act, 1936.

Recently, a three-judge bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer has been constituted by Chief Justice J S Khehar to hear a batch of petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case from August 11.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres area at the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri masjid site in Ayodhya.

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