Lucknow, Apr 4: Indian Muslims are going through a more difficult situation than in 1857 and 1947 over their religious traditions, said an office-bearer of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani urged Muslims, especially women, not to fall prey to "propaganda" being spread against the Muslim Personal Law Board.

He said, "extremist forces" were trying to "mislead and instigate us" and bring the Muslim youth to the streets, and cited the issue of 'hijab' in Karnataka which he said was posing a "big test" for the Muslims in that state.

"All India Muslim Personal Law Board is looking into this issue from day one and taking legal remedies for the same," he said.

He said, an appeal has been filed in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Karnataka High Court (on the hijab issue) and the board is not ignoring any such issue which affects 'Shariyat'.

"But sadly, some people want to create a misunderstanding about the board," he added.

He said, "I request the Muslims, especially the Muslim sisters, that does not get influenced by such propaganda and do not let the efforts being made to create resentment among them."

Rahmani in a video message said, "Muslims are going through a more difficult situation than in 1857 and 1947 in terms of the crisis in their religious traditions. Shariat-e-Islami is being attacked from many sides and Muslims are being targeted."

India witnessed the first war of Independence in 1857 while 1947 marked the country's independence and Partition.

In Karnataka, girls have been banned from wearing 'hijab' in educational institutions. Recently, the Karnataka High Court has also refused to stay the ban, holding that the wearing of 'hijab' by Muslim women is not a compulsory religious practice of Islam.

The AIMPLB has filed a special leave petition against the decision last month.

The board has moved to the Supreme Court through its secretary, Mohammad Fazlurrahim, along with two other petitioners, Munisa Bushra and Jalisa Sultana Yasin.

The AIMPLB is a non-government organisation constituted in 1973 to adopt suitable strategies for the protection and continued applicability of Muslim Personal Law in India, most importantly, the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937.

Rahmani also appealed to the Muslims to pray for the community in the country and the protection of their 'Shariat' rights in the month of Ramzan.

"Educate Muslim children. Efforts should be made to establish more and more Muslim Girls' Schools and Junior Colleges," he said.

He also said that "along with the Islamic environment, we should also establish institutions of modern education so that we do not have to live at the mercy of others."

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Guwahati, May 15: Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act hitting a well-paced fifty and taking two wickets, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match here on Wednesday.

The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track here but Curran (63 not out, 41b, 5x4, 3x6) had a calm head and skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs.

The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22, 20b) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth wicket partnership.

For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot, but they remained second on the table with 16 points with a qualification to the playoffs to boot with.

The Kings’ chase began on a shaky note as they lost Prabhsimran Singh in the first over itself to Trent Boult.

But bigger jolts were in store as an impressive Avesh Khan (2/28) scalped two wickets in the fifth over.

The right-arm pacer first plucked the important wicket of Rilee Rossouw, who played some strong shots in his 13-ball 22, and then jettisoned in-form Shashank Singh for a two-ball naught.

Shashank failed to connect a fuller, straighter one from Avesh while attempting a flick, and the 141 kmph delivery thudded on his bat. Shashank did not even bother to use DRS as he walked away.

Punjab gained some ground through the alliance between Curran and Jitesh, who smoked R Ashwin for two sixes.

Curran too gave a dose of punishment to the veteran offie, lofting him for a wonderful six over extra cover.

But the blossoming stand was snapped by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/31), leaving PBKS at 111 for five in the 16th over.

However, Curran and Ashutosh Sharma (17 not out, 11 balls) knocked off the remaining runs without further drama.

Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine.

R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) and Parag (48, 34, 6x4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR.

In fact, lethargy had set in very early in the Rajasthan innings after the early loss of Jaiswal, who chopped a Curran (2/24) delivery back on to his stumps.

Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom-Kohler Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it.

But with Curran and Arshdeep finding a hint of swing and maintaining a good line, scoring was not an easy proposition for the RR batters.

Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Nathan Ellis, gave a simple catch to Rahul Chahar at point in the seventh over.

Cadmore too returned to the dugout in the next over, as his almighty heave off leg-spinner Chahar (2/26) could not progress beyond Jitesh in the deep.

Those twin dismissals actually paved the way for the best phase in the Royals’ innings as Ashwin and Parag pressed their foot on the right pedal.

Ashwin displayed his batting skills, smashing Chahar for 17 runs in the 12th over that included a sequence of 6, 4, 4 and the first four was a stunning reverse scoop over backward point.

But he could not further extend his innings, lofting Arshdeep to Shashank.

Parag, usually a free-flowing batter, had to curb his flair in front of a hugely adoring home crowd because of the regular fall of wickets at the other end.

But a late cut off Curran that sped to third man stood as a testament of his ability and timing as he also moved past the 500-run mark for the season, before getting trapped in front of the wicket by Harshal Patel.

However, apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently.