Waqf Amendment Bill Passed – A Dark Day in India’s History

Hyderabad, 5 April (Press Note): The United Muslim Forum has said that the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament is a dark day in the history of the country. Even though the legal process of the bill is not complete, the government has already started claiming Waqf properties, which shows the real intentions of the BJP.

The Forum said that the Muslim community must now take strong action. The future steps of Indian Muslims will be decided by following the decisions of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

They thanked all those who supported them during this difficult time and said they will now take a strong stand against those who pretended to be friends but acted like enemies.

Forum leaders who gave this statement include:

• Maulana Mufti Syed Sadiq Mohiuddin Faheem (President)
• Maulana Syed Shah Ali Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini Sabri
• Maulana Syed Shah Hassan Ibrahim Hussaini Qadri Sajjad Pasha
• Maulana Shah Muhammad Jamalur Rahman Muftahi
• Maulana Muhammad Hussamuddin Sani Jafar Pasha
• Mr. Ziauddin Nayyar
• Mr. Syed Muniruddin Ahmed Mukhtar (General Secretary)

A group of religious leaders and professionals, including Maulana Syed Shah Zaheeruddin Ali Sufi Qadri, Maulana Syed Shah Fazlullah Qadri Al-Mousavi, Maulana Shafiq Alam Khan Jamai, Maulana Masood Hussain Mujtahidi, Mufti Mohammad Azeemuddin Ansari, Maulana Syed Ahmed Hussaini Saeed Qadri, Maulana Taqi Raza Abidi, Maulana Abu Talib Akhbari, Maulana Meer Firast Ali Shattari (Supreme Court Advocate), Mr. M.A. Majid, and many others, issued a joint statement.

In their statement, they strongly criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allied parties. They said that by passing the Waqf Amendment Bill, the BJP is trying to treat Muslims as second-class citizens in India.

They pointed out that even though the BJP claims this bill is for the benefit of ordinary Muslims, their actions over the last 11 years show the opposite. They referred to the many cases where Muslim homes, mosques, shrines, graveyards, and properties were demolished by bulldozers, even when court orders were in place. These events mostly happened in BJP-ruled states, which proves that the government’s claims of supporting Muslims are false.

During the discussions in Parliament, BJP members made false claims and gave misleading statements, trying to confuse the democratic system. They used their majority power to suppress the largest minority group in the country.

The bill has not yet been signed by the President or officially published in the Government Gazette, but even before that, in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Assam, the government has already started claiming Waqf properties, which shows their real intentions.

United Muslim Forum thanked all the opposition Members of Parliament who strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill using constitutional, legal, and other arguments.

The forum especially appreciated the non-Muslim MPs from the opposition who also firmly stood against the bill. Their support was seen as praiseworthy.

The forum criticized the government and its supportive media, saying they are trying to show that Muslims support the bill by using a few so-called Muslims and groups like Muslim Rashtriya Manch, which is linked to the RSS.

They questioned the BJP’s real intentions, saying: “If the BJP truly cares about Muslims, then why is it that there is not even one Muslim MP from their party, even though Muslims make up 20% of the population?”

They also gave the example of Malaysia, a Muslim country, where Tamils, who make up only 7% of the population, have 4 ministers in the federal government and separate representation in state governments.

The United Muslim Forum said that the so-called Muslims who supported the Waqf Amendment Bill have doubtful intentions regarding their faith. The society needs to think carefully about these people.

The forum criticized political parties like Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for supporting the bill. They urged the public to teach these parties a lesson by boycotting their business products.

The forum also criticized Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and leader of the TDP, saying that he betrayed his mentor and father-in-law, the late N.T. Rama Rao. They said that Muslims should not trust Naidu, who has already shown betrayal in the past.

The forum appealed to the public in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to boycott Naidu family-owned businesses, including Heritage Foods, Vijaya Dairy, and other related products.

They also called upon Muslims and secular leaders within TDP to listen to their conscience and come out of Naidu’s fake secular politics.

Lastly, the forum said that they have started awareness campaigns to inform the public about the harms caused by the Waqf Amendment Bill.