M. Burhanuddin Qasmi
As mentioned in a Hadith: “Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.” We sincerely thank the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), a leading muslim organisation in India and all opposition parties who made commendable and consistent efforts against the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025.
Unfortunately, this Bill has already been passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and now only awaits the formality of the Honourable President’s signature, which will most certainly be completed soon. In other words, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to prevent this Bill from becoming an Act.
Our country functions on a democratic system where numerical strength—the “counting of heads”—matters more than the strength of reasoning, truth, or justice. Whichever side has the majority, their decision becomes the law of the land—no matter how unjust or unfair it may be. Whether you see this as throttling the voice of the minority or as the tyranny of the majority, whether you see it as a strength or flaw of democracy, the judgment is yours to make.
Nevertheless, in these sorrowful and disheartening circumstances, we are truly grateful to all those political parties and Members of Parliament who raised a strong voice against this unreasonable and anti-minority bill. We listened closely to the opposition’s speeches during the parliamentary debate—each of them spoke well and fulfilled their duty. In particular, the speeches delivered by members of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, and a few other capable parliamentarians stood out for their preparation, courage, and clarity as they advocated for the interest of both the country and the community.
However, it is indeed disappointing that some leaders—such as Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, and Chirag Paswan—whose votes could have stopped this bill, once again chose to stand with power and money instead of truth and justice. Their actions are a betrayal of the trust placed in them by millions of Muslims. It is now the responsibility of Muslim voters to remember this insensitivity and act accordingly.
History will remember that our religious leadership did not disappoint the community at this critical juncture. Though we may have lost this battle in Parliament, our elders fought with dignity and honour. We are deeply grateful to the President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, its General Secretary Hazrat Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, and their colleagues—along with Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, Jamaat-e Islami Hind, All India Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, Imarat Shariah, and other community and religious organizations. The courage, insight, and determination they displayed—even during the holy month of Ramadhan, despite physical fatigue and lack of resources—deserve praise and recognition. We also thank Allah, the Almighty, that the Indian Muslim community as a whole remained united and avoided internal strife in this delicate time.
Now is the time for us to rise with a new strategy and unity. The Waqf Amendment Bill, CAA-NRC, the Triple Talaq law, the Babri Masjid issue, mob lynchings, and unjust arrests—all of these are direct attacks on the constitutional and religious rights of minorities, especially Muslims. Enough is enough. The Muslim has now been pushed to the wall. There is no room left for retreat.
We expect our leadership to now formulate a comprehensive, short-term and long-term protest strategy so that we, along with our like-minded Hindu brothers, fellow minorities, Dalits, and other justice-loving citizens, can raise a peaceful yet powerful voice on the streets. If standing up against injustice is a crime even in the world’s largest democracy, then the entire community must be prepared to commit this ‘crime’—not just a few Khalids, Sharjeels, or Safooras. All 200 million Muslims must now be ready to fill the jails together.
M. Burhanuddin Qasmi is an Islamic scholar and editor at Eastern Crescent (English monthly magazine), Mumbai. Views are personal.
