Addressing a Press Conference just a couple of weeks after the Bombay High Court granted permission to Taher Fakhruddin to continue the succession battle for the title of Syedna, Fakhruddin was very skeptical about the levies imposed on Dawoodi Bohras by their priesthood.

Emphasizing that the community should not be forced to pay levies, Fakhruddin addressed the media on a range of issues including the allegedly high taxes on the members of the community, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the ongiong dispute over spiritual authority.

He said that except for Zakat, which is 2.5% of the annual income that a Muslim must contribute as charity, there is no other tax as per the Shariah.  Even Zakat is a compulsion only on those who can afford it and should not be enforced.

Responding to a question on FGM, Fakhruddin, whose father, Late Khuzaima Qutduddin challenged the succession of Dai, said that it is for women to choose whether they want to undergo the procedure and that it is not a religious compulsion.  He further clarified that the term is Khaps, which is different from FGM and it should be done only after the women acquire adulthood.  “This cannot be done forcefully, as is a common practice in the community”, said Fakhruddin.

On the triple Talaq issue, he merely said that it was a complex issue, however, the rights of women need to be protected.