AIMPLB to gather mass feedback on Waqf Amendment Bill
The AIMPLB opposes the Waqf Amendment Bill and seeks mass feedback via QR codes in mosques, urging public objections to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has strongly objected to the Waqf Amendment Bill, will now be looking at a mass feedback mechanism on the issue in front of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
The AIMPLB will ask people coming for Friday prayers in mosques across the country to scan the QR code given by them and register their objection to the JPC. The JPC had invited public opinion on the bill, after which AIMPLB is leaving no stone unturned to register its protest against the bill.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sunni cleric and AIMPLB member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, “The All India Muslim Personal Law Board is also holding online meetings in different sectors in different states on a daily basis to encourage people for scanning QR code given by AIMPLB and to give their feedback to the JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill. Also, on the coming Friday, AIMPLB has ensured that in all the mosques across the country, detailed announcements will be made in this regard so that people can give their feedback.”
AIMPLB has issued a QR code through which people can scan and give their feedback on the Waqf Amendment Bill to the JPC. A drive is already being carried out on social media platforms and WhatsApp groups by AIMPLB so that maximum feedback from people can be given to the JPC on the issue. The AIMPLB and other Muslims organisations have already put forward their objections to JPC on the issue.
The JPC members met Muslim scholars, religious organisations and AIMPLB members a few days back. However, sources revealed that the JPC will once again meet the stakeholders soon.
Talking about major concerns of the board, Mulana Khalid Rasheed said, “Any amendments to the law or act without the consent of stakeholders in a democratic setup should not be encouraged, especially when the matter is completely religious. The religious organisations and leadership must also be consulted in such cases.”
“The other major concern is the negative and false propaganda that is being spread against Waqf. It is being showcased in some media reports that half of the country is Waqf property which is false. Interestingly around 90% of the Waqf properties are in the form of religious places, including mosques, imambadas, mazars etc. Also, there is no income by these religious places by and large. Instead, these places need funds for maintenance, which the community manages itself without any help from the government,” he added.
The AIMPLB member also stated that the 40 amendments made in the Waqf Act will not benefit, but instead harm the Waqf properties. “Especially, the amendment which proposed to end the ‘Waqf by User’ which is an integral part of the Islamic laws of the Waqf. Even in 1995 and 2013, when the Waqf Act was amended, the ‘Waqf By User’ provision was untouched as it is the backbone of the Waqf Law. It is also being proposed to include non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board, which is not feasible as all the places are of religious nature, then they should be administered in a religious way. Also, it is being proposed that the judicial powers will be given to the collector which is against Article 50. Also, it is being wrongly projected that there is no female representation in Waqf Boards which is wrong. At the moment, also we have two women members in the Waqf Board,” he said