Budgam, April 11 (KNS): In a powerful show of resistance, Anjuman Shari'i Shiaiyan staged mass protests across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday against the controversial Waqf Amendment Act 2025, denouncing it as an unconstitutional assault on the religious and administrative rights of the Muslim community. The protests, held at all major Friday congregation centres including Central Imambara Budgam, Historic Imambara Hassanabad Srinagar, and Imambara Yagipora Magam, echoed with unanimous support for the immediate withdrawal of the Act.
According to a statement issued to KNS, Addressing a charged congregation at the Central Imambara Budgam, Hujjatul Islam wal Muslimeen Agha Syed Hassan Al-Musavi Al-Safavi delivered a fiery sermon, stating unequivocally that the new legislation violates Article 14 of the Indian Constitution and encroaches upon the fundamental rights granted to religious minorities. "This Act, passed in the Lok Sabha through brute majority, is not merely a policy shift—it is a systematic attempt to erode the autonomy of Muslim institutions and dilute the essence of Waqf," he said.
Criticizing the legislation's provision that empowers non-Muslim and government functionaries in Waqf Boards and grants District Magistrates the authority to recognize or reject Waqf status of properties, Agha Hassan warned of a deeper conspiracy to undermine Muslim identity and self-governance.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel"This is a dangerous precedent. Stripping Muslim-led Waqf Boards of their powers and opening doors for external interference is nothing short of institutional encroachment," he asserted.
Calling upon the Muslim community to rise above fear and respond with constitutional resistance, Agha Hassan reaffirmed the Anjuman’s full support to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. “Now is the time for collective legal and civil action. We must defend our religious institutions with unity, wisdom, and constitutional resolve,” he said.
The unified resolution of Mutahhida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu & Kashmir, rejecting the Waqf Amendment Act, was read out in all protest centres and received overwhelming public endorsement.
In a strong rebuke to state policies curtailing religious freedoms, Agha Hassan also condemned the continued house arrest of Mirwaiz Kashmir, Maulvi Dr. Mohammad Umar Farooq. Terming it an infringement on religious liberty and civic rights, he demanded an immediate end to the restriction. “The Mirwaiz must be freed at once to perform his religious and social responsibilities,” he urged.
The protest sent a resounding message across the Valley: the Muslim community will not remain silent as its.(KNS)