Srinagar, Apr 03 Prominent Shia scholar Agha Syed Hadi on Thursday termed the Waqf Amendment Bill a gross interference in religious matters of Muslims, maintaining the actual stakeholders are being relegated back and irrelevant people preferred to take up the matters of religious importance.
“On one side, the government with the introduction of bill, apparently seems to work for the welfare of people and improve functioning of Waqf Board, but on the other we see it as is gross religious interference as Waqf is being handed over to people who aren’t stakeholders, and the actual stakeholders being relegated back,” Hadi said while talking to mediapersons, as per news agency Kashmir Bulletin.
Maintaining that the amendments brought about are devoid of any scholarly opinion, Hadi said the government has superficially worked out the things without consulting the top and authentic scholars.
“Waqf has its methodology and philosophy, and it may be that the very purpose of establishing it get nullified and defeated with these amendments,” the scholar said.
“As is being heard of the new Bill, the government aims to decide on its own the ownership of properties, to say whether a property to Waqf or not,” he said, adding, “If the properties are old, there is possibility the possessor may have no evidence with him anymore, the government will declare it as government property.”
“These amendments were okay and acceptable had they been brought to improve the functionality of Waqf.”
“Bringing in non-Muslims within the Waqf doesn’t bodes well, the same way as if tomorrow Muslims lay their hands in affairs of other religions,” Hadi asserted.
Reiterating that the Bill is a direct intervention, Hadi said with such things, the idea of soft secularism is getting diluted and the idea of communism gaining strength.
Pulling up the Muslims, the Shia scholar said that, “Had there been togetherness and unity among Muslims, this situation wouldn’t have arisen at the first place.”
Pertinent to mention here that the government on Wednesday introduced Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha which was passed after daylong discussions. The Bill has been tabled today in Rajya Sabha, awaiting clearance by the House. (KB)
