Hyderabad's historical royal mosque to now double up as legal mediation centre
Hyderabad: The historical royal mosque in Public Gardens in the city will now double up as an authorised mediation centre to resolve various legal issues through arbitration. This is the first mediation centre to be attached to a mosque in the two Telugu states.
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The mediation centre, which will be open to people cutting across religious lines, will formally begin functioning from Saturday.
The aim behind the centre is to help people resolve disputes and avoid knocking on the doors of police stations and courts for every issue. The mediation outcome will be binding on the disputing parties and its order recognised by court.
The royal mosque, which was the official mosque of the princely state of Hyderabad where Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan offered Friday congregational prayers, has been running some sort of mediation centre for many years.
But this centre had no recognition. Now, with the permission from the Telangana Legal Services Authority, it will formally become an authorised mediation centre. All the staff handling the centre have been trained and certified by the legal services authority.
Of late, mosques in Hyderabad have evolved into community and social service centres, with several of them running clinics, old age homes, diagnostic centres, coaching classes for competitive exams and schools.
A brainchild of moulana Dr Ahsan bin Mohammad Al-Hamoomi, Imam of the royal mosque, the mediation centre will deal with all types of civil disputes, including marital and inheritance. It will function every Saturday after the Zohar prayers (around 2 pm).
Named Al-Ifadah Mediation Centre, it will primarily focus on issues related to the Muslim community, though people of all religions may approach it for out-of-court solution of their legal problems.
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'This centre is a second opinion legal cell. We have legal experts supervising us with their guidance,' said Dr Ahsan, adding that most problem could be solved through mediation without people having to spend years fighting in courts.
He, however, pointed out that those not satisfied by the mediation may go to court.
'We will not give judgment, but our decisions will be authorised by courts,' he said.
The entire proceeding will be kept confidential and the identity of the disputing parties will not be revealed to the public.
Renowned preacher Asifuddin Muhammed welcomed the establishment of the mediation centre, emphasising its role in fostering peace within the Muslim community by providing a dignified alternative to police intervention for domestic disputes.
'This initiative promotes harmony, preserves family bonds, ensures confidentiality, aligns with Islamic principles, and eases the burden on police personnel and the judiciary,' Asifuddin said, urging the community to support the effort.
It Will Be Open To All Religions, Says Imam
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