All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with other Islamic clerics, has given a call to Muslims to assemble at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on March 13. The timing is significant. Hindus will celebrate Holika Dahan on this day, a day before Holi. Top Muslim leaders like Safullah Rahmani, Obaidullah Azmi, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Imran Masood have been telling Muslims that if the Waqf Act was amended, the community will lose most of the Waqf properties like madrasa, kabristan land, etc. The government will take over these properties, they say. But few Muslims know that Waqf amendment bill has nothing to do with the properties of Muslim commoners. Muslims believe what Owaisi and Rahmani are saying only because they have not read the provisions of the bill. The Centre says, the bill has been brought to regulate only Waqf properties. Waqf boards shall remain as they are. The only difference will be, waqf boards will not have the power to acquire whichever land they claim. The bill also has provisions to prevent misappropriation of waqf properties by waqf boards and women will have representation in waqf boards. The path will now be open to remove illegal acquisition of land by waqf boards. Till now, waqf boards had a monopoly. This will come to an end. The government says, the new law will provide the right to challenge the decision of waqf boards in courts. And now the main question arises: How will the Muslim community lose its mosques? How will Muslims lose their control over madrasas and kabristan land? The ground reality is, some individuals have been controlling billions of rupees worth waqf properties, and they have been earning crores of rupees from these properties. This game will now end. That is why these individuals are worried and they are trying to incite their Muslim brethren. This matter relates to waqf boards only, but these leaders are reminding Muslims about Babri mosque, Gyanvapi mosque and Sambhal Jama Masjid.OPINION | Waqf Bill: Are Maulanas misguiding Muslims?
All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with other Islamic clerics, has given a call to Muslims to assemble at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on March 13. The timing is significant. Hindus will celebrate Holika Dahan on this day, a day before Holi. Top Muslim leaders like Safullah Rahmani, Obaidullah Azmi, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Imran Masood have been telling Muslims that if the Waqf Act was amended, the community will lose most of the Waqf properties like madrasa, kabristan land, etc. The government will take over these properties, they say. But few Muslims know that Waqf amendment bill has nothing to do with the properties of Muslim commoners. Muslims believe what Owaisi and Rahmani are saying only because they have not read the provisions of the bill. The Centre says, the bill has been brought to regulate only Waqf properties. Waqf boards shall remain as they are. The only difference will be, waqf boards will not have the power to acquire whichever land they claim. The bill also has provisions to prevent misappropriation of waqf properties by waqf boards and women will have representation in waqf boards. The path will now be open to remove illegal acquisition of land by waqf boards. Till now, waqf boards had a monopoly. This will come to an end. The government says, the new law will provide the right to challenge the decision of waqf boards in courts. And now the main question arises: How will the Muslim community lose its mosques? How will Muslims lose their control over madrasas and kabristan land? The ground reality is, some individuals have been controlling billions of rupees worth waqf properties, and they have been earning crores of rupees from these properties. This game will now end. That is why these individuals are worried and they are trying to incite their Muslim brethren. This matter relates to waqf boards only, but these leaders are reminding Muslims about Babri mosque, Gyanvapi mosque and Sambhal Jama Masjid.
