A woman speaker, Munisa Bushra Abdi, said that the government’s claim that the changes in the law will benefit women was not true. | FPJ/Manoj Ramakrishnan
The Waqf amendments are discriminatory, violative of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India, and a conspiracy to usurp and destroy Muslim Waqf properties, said the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
The organisation, which was set up to promote and protect Islamic personal law, announced protests across the country till July 7 to get the government to withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which was passed by parliament on April 8.
Announcing the plans at a press conference in Mumbai on Friday, Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, general secretary of AIMPLB, said that the government has portrayed Waqf like a mafia organisation to get the law passed. “We reject the entire legislation,” said Mujaddidi.
The organisation, which was set up to promote and protect Islamic personal law, announced protests across the country till July 7 | FPJ/Manoj Ramakrishnan
Maulana Obaidullah Khan, vice president of the organisation, said that the last amendment in the law was made in 2013 by the Manmohan Singh government with the support of the opposition. “Why does the government want to destroy a law passed with their approval?,” asked Khan, adding that the claim that the law was passed to benefit poor Muslims was a lie.
Speakers at the meeting said that the amendments not only violate the fundamental rights granted under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, but also expose the government’s intent and malicious designs to take complete control over the administration and management of Waqf. Sayed Sadatullah Hussaini, vice president, called the law ‘selective harassment’ of Muslims. He said the passage of the law was legislative discrimination, a violation of federalism, and an affront to democracy, as the government will appoint members to the Waqf Boards instead of allowing elections. “Waqf institutions have been reduced to nothing. This is setting a wrong precedent,” said Hussaini.
S Q R Iliyas, spokesperson of AIMPLB, said that while the Supreme Court has started hearing the appeals against the law, the court did not give any interim relief because the government asked for time. “The court has said there will be no new appointments to the Waqf Boards under the new law till the matter is heard again,” said Iliyas.
The AIMPLB also said that the condition that a Waqf (endower) must be a practising Muslim for five years is in contradiction with Articles 14 and 26 of the Constitution, and also conflicts with Islamic Shariah principles. The organisation added that the exemption from the law of limitation – the time limit for aggrieved persons to approach the courts – has been removed by the new law, making Waqf trusts worried about losing land to the current occupants.
A woman speaker, Munisa Bushra Abdi, said that the government’s claim that the changes in the law will benefit women was not true.
