By Abdul Bari Masoud
5 August 2024: In response to reports about proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, 2013, prominent Muslim organizations declared on Sunday that they will not tolerate any changes to the act.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) emphasized that any modification to the Waqf Act, 2013, which alters the nature of waqf properties or makes them easier to usurp by the government or individuals, is unacceptable. Similarly, reducing or restricting the powers of waqf boards will not be tolerated.
Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and MP from Hyderabad, stated that if the reports are accurate, the amendments are part of the BJP’s Hindutva agenda to seize waqf properties from the community.
In a statement, AIMPLB spokesperson Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas highlighted that the Indian government aims to alter the status and nature of waqf properties through approximately 40 amendments to the Waqf Act, 2013, making it easier to take possession of these properties. Reports suggest that such a bill might be introduced in Parliament next week. Dr. Ilyas underscored that waqf properties are charitable donations from Muslim philanthropists intended for religious and charitable purposes, with the Waqf Act enacted solely for their regulation.
Dr. Ilyas further noted that the Waqf Act and waqf properties are protected by the Constitution of India and the Shariat Application Act, 1937. Therefore, the government cannot amend the law in a way that changes the fundamental nature and status of these properties. He criticized the Modi government for consistently taking actions that harm the Muslim community, such as closing the Maulana Azad Foundation, restricting minority scholarships, and implementing the Triple Talaq law.
He warned that this issue is not limited to Muslims alone; after targeting waqf properties, the government may next focus on the religious endowments of Sikhs, Christians, and then Hindu temples and religious properties.
Dr. Ilyas made it clear that Muslims would never accept any amendment to the Waqf Act that alters its status. Any interference with the legal and judicial status and powers of Waqf Boards will also not be tolerated. He strongly urged NDA allies and opposition parties to reject any such proposals and prevent them from passing in Parliament.
The AIMPLB spokesperson appealed to all Muslims and their religious and community organizations to unite against the government’s actions. The Board is prepared to take all legal and democratic measures to thwart this initiative.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Owaisi questioned why the government leaked information about the amendments through the media while Parliament is in session. He criticized the government for acting against parliamentary supremacy and privileges by informing the media instead of Parliament. Owaisi asserted that the proposed amendments aim to strip the Waqf Board of its autonomy and interfere with its functions, violating religious freedom.
According to media reports, contested properties could be labeled as disputed, prompting a survey to be conducted by BJP leaders and Chief Ministers, which Owaisi claimed would produce biased results. He accused the government of attempting to usurp judicial authority, citing numerous dargahs in India that the BJP-RSS claims are not mosques or dargahs.
