In the wake of recent media debates and political intervention on matters of Islamic Shariah, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has launched what it calls an awareness campaign for Muslim Personal Law.

Through the 14-day campaign from 21 April, the organisation will reach out to Muslim masses and people from other communities to remove their "misconception" on Muslim law and teachings of Islam on family issues like marriage and divorce.

Jamaat said it is mostly the ignorance of the Muslim masses about Islamic family laws and their consequent faulty conduct while dealing with domestic disputes that have created a distorted image of Muslims and Islam.

Talking to the Statesman, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, president of Jamaat-e- Islami Hind and also vice-president of All India Muslim personal Law Board, said, “It must be recognised that the primary reason for violation of Shariat is large-scale ignorance of Muslim masses and lack of sincere commitment to Islamic norms. A large section of Muslim society does not even know basics of Islam. Many Muslims do not know the rules and instructions which would guide them in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance and the like. Hence, there is an imperative need to educate, uplift and morally reform the Muslim society.”

He said the current debate on triple talaq in the media and elsewhere is to divert attention from real issues of the community.

Talking about the contradictions in Muslim Personal Law and Indian laws under the Constitution, Salim Engineer, general secretary of the Jamaat, said Muslims in India have constitutional right to practice Muslim Personal Law. “Indian constitution has given us right to practice our religious laws. It is our constitutional right,” he said

During this campaign, the organisation plans to reach out 4-5 crore people, according to Mohammad Jafar, convener of the campaign and also a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board. He told the Statesman, “For this 700 public meetings and 8000 Friday sermons will be used. The campaign will also cover 2000 villages."

The organisation has also designed an app called MPLAC.in for reaching out to people. This mobile application contains relevant information on Muslim Personal Law.