All India Jamiatul Quresh district chief appeals not to give or take dowry

Following the recent suicide of 23-year-old Ayesha Arif Khan, who was allegedly harassed for dowry district chief of All India Jamiatul Quresh in Agra, Sarif Qureshi has appealed to the Muslim community to neither take nor receive dowry.

"We have appealed to Muslims not to take or give dowry. Dowry is a criminal act and is also prohibited in Sharia law," Qureshi said.

Earlier in the day, Muslims orgsations urged people to stop the exchange of dowry in all Muslim wedding following the death by suicide of Ayesha in Ahmedabad.

A section of the Muslim community in Agra too vowed to stop the exchange of dowry in all the marriages of its community.

In a meeting held at a local mosque in Agra after the Friday Namaz, the community leaders led special prayers for the soul of Ayesha.

Speaking to , Jamit-Ul-Quresh president Mohammad Sharif Kale said, "Ayesha had been badly tortured by her husband and in-laws because she had not given dowry to them. Such people should be given the strictest punishment in the law."

He also said that the people from all communities have to take a unmous decision to disallow the exchange of dowry in all the community, as it is not the problem of just Muslims.

Furthermore, Hindust Biradari member Siraj Kureishi said that dowry has been forbidden in Islam and the Muslim community should follow the teachings of the Holy Quran by renouncing dowry completely.

The woman named Ayesha jumped into a river and later died in Gujarat's Ahmadabad after allegedly being harassed by her husband for dowry.

( With inputs from ANI )