Include Shia community in CAB: UP Shia Central Waqf Board writes to Amit Shah

Lamenting the plight of Shia Muslim community, Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to include Shia community in the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019, which was introduced in Lok Sabha today.

"I would like to draw your attention towards the fact that in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and also in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Kenya and other countries wherever Sunni are in majority and Shia are in minority, Shia's are subjected to extreme inhumanity and are being murdered," read the letter.

"Keeping in view I request you to include Shia's in the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 to save Shia community from atrocities," it read.

The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Union Home Minister Amit Shah today introduced the bill in the House. Through this bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution and put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

It is important to note that the Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha in the first term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in the Centre.