Friday, December 24 2004 18:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: Masjlis-e-Shura, one of the apex decision-making bodies of Muslims, today (Dec 24, 2004) declared Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness of Best Bakery carnage case, a "dissembler" and ousted her from the minority community for what it called "tarnishing its image by making false statements", All India Muslim Tehwar committee said in Bhopal.

Zaheera was declared 'Munafiq' (dissembler) and ousted her from the Muslim community," Committee Chairman Dr Ousaf Shahmiri Khurram said.

"The decision to outcast Zaheera from the Muslim community was taken unanimously, in view of 'Tehelka' newspaper expose, at a meeting of over 500 representatives from different organisations including Muslim Personal Law Board and Ulema Council," Khurram said.

"It was found that Zaheera had been acting against preaching of Quran by continuously making false statements about the Best Bakery carnage case," he said adding, "Her actions had tarnished the image of Muslims before the people of this country."

"Muslim clerics and the office-bearers of different organisations were of the belief that Zaheera had not followed the principles of Islam and Quran. She had insulted it by lying on different platforms," the committee Chairman said.

Consent of the Muslim Personal Law Board was also taken before such a decision was passed, he added.