Waqf Bill a Dangerous Step Toward Dispossessing Indian Muslims, say Indian Americans
Washington, D.C. (April 2, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) has expressed deep concern over the introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, by India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The proposed legislation, which is currently being debated in the Indian Parliament, seeks to fundamentally alter the governance of waqf properties, threatening the rights and autonomy of India’s Muslim communities under the pretext of transparency and reform.
Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of IAMC, issued the following statement:
“The Waqf amendment bill is a blatant attempt to strip the Muslim community of its control over waqf properties and place these institutions under state control. The intention here is to dilute the authority of the Muslim community and weaken its ability to safeguard religious endowments. This move undermines not only the religious autonomy of Muslims but also threatens the very purpose of waqf, which is to serve the socio-economic needs of marginalized communities. These properties support countless educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and social welfare programs that serve Muslim communities across the country. Increased state control and potential encroachment will deprive vulnerable populations of crucial support. This will also weaken the community’s ability to address socio-economic inequalities. The proposed amendments are a thinly veiled pretext to justify state intervention and create legal mechanisms to dispossess the Muslim community of control over its assets. If transparency were genuinely the goal, the government would engage with community leaders and reform waqf management through consultation, not coercion.
This bill is not an isolated development but part of a calculated and dangerous pattern of systematic erosion of minority rights under the Modi government. It’s yet another attempt at persecuting Muslims in the country and keeping them in the constant state of second-class citizenry. The Hindu nationalist government’s ultimate goal is to weaken the economic foundations of the Muslim community by seizing control of its institutions. This aligns perfectly with the BJP’s ideological mission to marginalize Muslims and limit their socio-economic mobility. We are actively engaging with international human rights bodies and civil society organizations to highlight the dangers posed by the bill because it represents a systematic attack on the religious and economic autonomy of India’s Muslim community. IAMC is committed to mobilizing the Indian diaspora and building international pressure to protect waqf institutions from the Hindu nationalist overreach. We call on all Members of Parliament and the Indian civil society to oppose this bill in its current form and to stand in defense of minority rights, constitutional safeguards, and the secular fabric of Indian democracy.”
For media inquiries:
Safa Ahmed
Associate Media Director
