New Delhi — In a powerful address delivered at Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s headquarters in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, senior All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas expressed grave concerns over the intensifying threats facing Indian Muslims. From ideological and legal challenges to direct attacks on religious and cultural institutions, Ilyas said a systematic campaign is underway to marginalize the Muslim community and erase its heritage.
He stated that the very survival of the community’s identity, faith, and institutions is at stake, and while challenges have existed since Independence, the scale and severity have dramatically increased in recent years.
Ilyas highlighted that Muslims are facing threats not only to their lives, property, and dignity, but also to their religious laws and educational institutions. He pointed to interference by RSS-backed elements in institutions like Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia, and said that Shariah and Personal Law are under ideological siege.
Accusing the government of enacting laws that undermine religious freedom and property rights, he criticized the newly passed Wakf Bill of 2025. According to him, the bill appears aimed at taking control of Muslim endowments, including mosques, Eidgahs, dargahs, and cemeteries under legal cover.
He also raised concerns about the weakening of laws like the Places of Worship Act (1991) and recent amendments to the Wakf Act. He viewed these legal shifts as part of a broader agenda to dispossess Muslims of their religious and cultural legacy.
Speaking about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam, Ilyas stated that Muslims were disproportionately affected, with 6 lakh Muslims among the 19 lakh people whose citizenship was questioned. He described it as a humanitarian crisis that tore families apart and stripped individuals of their dignity and rights.
He warned that Muslim history is being deliberately erased from educational curricula while mythology is being inserted in its place. He condemned the release of distorted films targeting the Mughal era and figures like Aurangzeb, calling them part of a communal narrative aimed at defaming the Muslim identity.
Ilyas said the 2025 Wakf Bill has sparked widespread concern and protests across India, the likes of which have not been seen before on this issue. He noted that earlier versions of the law, such as those enacted in 1923, 1954, and 2013, were developed through consultation with Muslim scholars and stakeholders. In contrast, the current bill, he claimed, was passed without engaging the community meaningfully.
Although the bill was eventually referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), he said the initial absence of Muslim representation and the dominance of ruling party members raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the process. He noted that it was only after pressure from AIMPLB and allied groups that some engagement was initiated.
AIMPLB submitted a comprehensive 211-page memorandum to the JPC, presenting detailed legal, historical, and constitutional objections to the bill. Ilyas also expressed concern over the involvement of groups like the RSS and VHP in influencing the legislative direction of the committee, which he believed pointed to a predetermined outcome.
Concluding his speech, Ilyas urged Indian Muslims to remain united, vigilant, and active in defending their rights. He stressed that the issue is not just about land or legislation, but about the community’s identity, legacy, and future. He warned that silence today would only bring regret tomorrow, as future generations will ask why their elders failed to act.
The speech comes amid ongoing nationwide protests and legal battles being waged by various Muslim organizations against the Waqf Bill and other policies perceived as discriminatory.
