By The Hindu Bureau

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The Waqf Protest Committee, a body entrusted with organising events in the run-up to the passing of the new Muslim endowments legislation, welcomed certain aspects of the interim order of the apex court. At the same time, it asserted that the community would continue to fight for sharia and constitutional rights with renewed vigour.

The Supreme Court on September 15 had declined to stay Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in its entirety.

The committee welcomed the aspect in which the court rejected that a property deemed as Waqf would cease to lose its character if questions over its nature as government land were raised. However, they expressed disappointment and articulated the need for ‘clarity’ over certain other aspects, such as a mechanism be developed to determine whether a person has been practicing Islam for five years.

“The moment a person utters the declaration of faith, he or she has the same rights as a person who professes Islam since the beginning or for many, many years,” Mufti Omar Abedeen Qasmi Madani, an office bearer, said.

The committee also expressed disappointment over the court allowing the inclusion of not more the four non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council, and three in the State Waqf boards. “Since the very beginning we have stated that this is not a Hindu versus Muslim issue. We are saying that the law is unconstitutional and an attack on fundamental rights of the community,” he said.

“We are not stopping, and will move forward to protect our sharia and constitutional rights,” Mr. Mufti Omar said.