Page 2 - Muslims

Waqf Amendment Bill will aid underprivileged Muslims, says AIMJ chief

The national president of All-India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, on Thursday welcomed the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, expressing hope that it will bring significant economic relief to the underprivileged Muslims. "I extend my gratitude to all the Lok Sabha members who voted in favour of the Bill, and congratulate the government of India for taking this commendable step," Razvi said in a statement. He also said the proposed amendments would curb the alleged irregularities in Waqf properties, which, according to him, were previously being misused by vested interests in collusion with land mafias. "The original intent of Waqf was to support the poor, weak, and the orphans. But its revenues were instead being pocketed by a select few. Now, with this Bill, we hope to see positive changes and economic upliftment of the underprivileged Muslims," Rizvi added. Expressing confidence that the Bill would be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well

BJP allies back Waqf Bill; Shah, Rijiju say it won't be retrospective

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally of the BJP, urged the government to show flexibility in drafting the rules to allow states to determine the composition of the Waqf boards

Waqf Bill a 'direct assault on Muslims', part of Hindutva agenda: Owaisi

Voicing strong opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that the Bill is a "direct assault on Muslims" and would strip them of their properties. Addressing a gathering here, he questioned how non-Muslims could become members of the Waqf Board, as proposed by the Bill, when only Hindus and Sikhs can be members of temple and gurdwara boards, respectively. Wearing a black armband in response to a call by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to protest against the Bill, Owaisi said, "(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is firing bullets at our chest through the Waqf Billtargeting our mosques and dargahs." According to the provisions of the Bill, the district collector can certify that a particular property is not a Waqf property, thereby causing Muslims to lose their claim over it, he alleged. "You (Centre) intend to take away the properties of Muslims. This is part of the Hindutva agenda to prevent us from following our Shariat

Will uplift poor Muslims financially, protect Waqf Board properties: Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday called Ramadan a month of discipline, charity and reflection at an Iftar party hosted by the state government in Vijayawada. The chief minister joined Muslims in their prayers and reaffirmed his commitment to uplifting poor Muslims and protecting Wakf Board properties in the state. "We established Urdu universities in Hyderabad and Kurnool, and a Haj House in Kadapa. Between 2014 and 2019, we provided Dulhan' assistance to 32,722 minority brides at Rs 163 crore," said the chief minister at the Iftar party. The NDA coalition government is working to uplift poor Muslim families while ensuring the protection of Wakf Board properties as TDP has always supported the Muslim community, said Naidu. The TDP supremo said that the party shares a strong bond with Muslims as it extended several benefits in united Andhra Pradesh while NTR (NT Rama Rao) established a finance corporation and made Urdu the second official language, ...

RS adjourned till 2 pm following ruckus over Muslim reservation in K'taka

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Monday in the pre-lunch session without transacting any business as treasury and opposition benches sparred over the issue of reservations to Muslims in Karnataka public contracts. While ruling BJP MPs created a ruckus, alleging that a Congress leader has vowed to change the Constitution to provide reservation to Muslims, Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that no force can change the Constitution made by B R Ambedkar. Amid slogan shouting, mostly by the ruling side, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. BJP MPs started moving into the aisle raising slogans just as the House met for the day. Dhankhar gave Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju the floor to speak on what they were agitating about. Rijiju said a senior Congress leader who holds a constitutional post has said the party will change the Constitution to provide reservation to Muslims. Though he did not name the .

Rushdie was too stunned to react when a man started to stab him: Prosecutor

Salman Rushdie was so stunned when a masked man started to stab him on a stage in western New York that the author didn't even try to fight back, a prosecutor said Monday during opening statements in the suspect's attempted murder trial. Rushdie, 77, is expected to testify during the trial of Hadi Matar, bringing the two face-to-face for the first time since the attack that left Rushdie seriously wounded and blind in one eye. On the day of the attack in August 2022, the Booker Prize-winning novelist was seated in an armchair on stage at the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater, about to present a lecture on keeping writers safe. District Attorney Jason Schmidt told jurors Monday that the attack was swift and sudden. He said Matar bounded up a staircase to the stage and ran about 30 feet (9 meters) toward Rushdie. As the stabbing began, Rushdie and fellow speaker Henry Reese were so stunned that they initially remained seated. Without hesitation this man holding his knife forcefully

Rahim Al-Hussaini named new Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims

Rahim Al-Hussaini was named Wednesday as the new Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world's millions of Ismaili Muslims. He was designated as the Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, in his father's will. His father died Tuesday in Portugal. The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is treated as a head of state.

Backward classes form majority of Telangana's population: Caste survey

The survey reveals that Scheduled Castes make up 17.43 per cent of Telangana's population, while Scheduled Tribes account for 10.45 per cent

SC seeks details of FIRs against men for divorcing wives via triple talaq

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to provide the details of the number of FIRs and chargesheets filed against men for pronouncing instant triple talaq to divorce spouses in violation of the 1991 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights in Marriage) Act. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, hearing as many as 12 petitions challenging the constitutionality of the 1991 law, also asked the Centre and other parties to file their written submissions to the pleas. The bench fixed the petitions for final hearing in the week commencing March 17. Samastha Kerala Jamiathul Ulema, a Kozhikode-based Muslim organisation, is the lead petitioner in the case. The respondent (Centre) shall file the total number of FIRs and charge sheets pending under section 3 and 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Act 2019. The parties also file written submissions not exceeding three pages in support of their contention, the bench said. Instant 'tr

Trump 2.0 has garnered strong Muslim support: Pakistani American bizman

In his second term, US President Donald Trump has garnered strong support from the Muslim community on foreign policy issues like Gaza, a prominent Pakistani American businessman has said, dismissing the narrative that the Republican leader is opposed to Muslims. The biggest difference between Trump 1.0 and Trump 2.0 is that he got endorsements from the Muslims in cities like Detroit in Michigan," Sajid Tarar, a businessman and founder of Muslims for Trump, told PTI. "At this time, he has a massive support of Muslims. The way he is handling Gaza, the Muslim Americans are behind him. They are very thankful to him, Tarar said. Tarar, a supporter of the US president since 2016, argued that a false narrative is being constructed that Trump is against the Muslim community. This is certainly not the case, he said. Speaking about India-US ties, Tarar said that Trump's second term has re-energised and reactivated the relationship. He pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first ...

BJP-led NDA amendments accepted, Oppn's defeated in Waqf bill committee

Members of the parliamentary panel on the Waqf Amendment Bill have suggested 572 amendments to the draft legislation that has the government and the opposition at loggerheads. The consolidated list of amendments was circulated by the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, chaired by BJP leader Jagdambika Pal, late Sunday as the panel's hearing entered the last lap. The Committee will discuss the clause-by-clause amendments at its meeting on Monday. Members of the BJP and those from the opposition have submitted amendments to the Bill. However, none of the BJP's allies figure in the list of members who have submitted the amendments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the joint committee of Parliament on August 8 following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The Bill aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.

Influx from B'desh not by Hindus but 'majority community' members: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the influx from Bangladesh into the state in recent months is mostly by the "majority community" of the neighbouring country and not by the minority Hindus there. Those who are entering India illegally are workers of the textile industry in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which are in bad shape following the crisis there, and they want to go to Tamil Nadu to join the same sector, he claimed. The southern state is ruled by the DMK, a constituent of the INDIA bloc. "The situation in Bangladesh has led to the collapse of the textile industry in that country. The workers, who are majority there but a minority in our country, are trying to cross the border," the chief minister said during an interaction with journalists here. They are trying to enter the country to go to the textile industries in Tamil Nadu, and "owners of these industries are incentivising them to come to get cheap labour," he said. The Hindu minorities in th

Muslim organisations condemn renewed sale of 'The Satanic Verses' in India

Some Muslim organisations have strongly condemned the renewed sale of Salman Rushdie's controversial book "The Satanic Verses" in India and appealed to the central government to reinstate the ban on it. Rushdie's book has returned to Indian bookshelves, 36 years after it was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988. Currently, 'The Satanic Verses' is available at Bahrisons Booksellers in Delhi-NCR. In November, the Delhi High Court closed proceedings on a plea challenging the Rajiv Gandhi government's ban on the book's import. The court stated that the failure of officials to present the relevant notification from October 5, 1988, led to the assumption that the notification did not exist. Maulana Kaab Rashidi, legal advisor for the Uttar Pradesh unit of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (AM), expressed concern over the book's reappearance in India. "If freedom of expression hurts someone's sentiments, it is a legal offence. 'The Satanic Verses' is a blasphemous book. Selling such a ...

SC asks petitioners against 'Dharam Sansad' to send email seeking listing

The Supreme Court on Monday asked some former bureaucrats and social activists who moved a plea against a 'Dharam Sansad' in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, alleging a call was issued for the "genocide of Muslims", to send an email seeking urgent listing. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was urged by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for some former bureaucrats, that the plea needed urgent listing. "I will consider. Please send an email," Chief Justice Khanna said. Bhushan said an open call for the genocide of Muslims had been made and the plea needed urgent hearing as the 'Dharam Sansad' would be commencing on Tuesday. The 'Dharam Sansad' by the Yati Narsinghanand Foundation is proposed to be held from Tuesday to Saturday at the Shiv-Shakti temple complex in Ghaziabad's Dasna. Activists and former bureaucrats have moved a contempt petition against the Ghaziabad district administration and the Uttar Pradesh Police for their "willful and deliberat

Modi govt firm that there will be no tinkering with quota system: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Modi government is firm that there will be no tinkering with the current reservation system in the country as he charged the Congress with weakening the quota for SCs, STs and OBCs by giving it to Muslims. Participating in the "Agenda Aaj Tak 2024", he also said the country will be free of the problem of Naxal violence by March 31, 2026. Shah also said the government is talking to both Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur and expects to find a solution to the current situation. "Our government is firm that there will be no tinkering with the current reservation system in the country. It was the Congress which weakened the quota for SCs, STs and OBCs by giving it to Muslims," he said. The home minister further said, "By March 31, 2026, India will be free from the Naxal problem. I strongly believe that. Security forces are working in that direction". The home minister said barring a few districts, Naxal violence has come to an end

After Assad's ouster, Syrian rebel leader puts his stamp on the state

The appointment of Mohammed al-Bashir as Syria's new interim prime minister on Monday underlined the group's status as the most powerful of the armed groups

Here's why rebel capture of Syria's Hama, city with dark history, matters

It was one of the darkest moments in the modern history of the Arab world. More than four decades ago, Hafez Assad, then president of Syria, launched what came to be known as the Hama Massacre. Between 10,000 to 40,000 people were killed or disappeared in the government attack on the central Syrian city. It began on Feb 2, 1982, and lasted for nearly a month, leaving the city in ruins. The memory of the government assault and the monthlong siege on the city, which at the time was a stronghold of Syria's Muslim Brotherhood, remains visceral in Syrian and Arab minds. Now Islamist insurgents have captured the city, tearing down a poster of Hafez Assad's son, President Bashar Assad, and swarming security and government offices scenes unimaginable 40 years ago. The moment carried great symbolism in Syria's long-running civil war, which began 13 years ago but many say is rooted in Hama. A dark history Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is known for its quaint waterwheels, a landmark .

Hanuman Chalisa-namaz row: Outsiders barred from entering Varanasi college

Amid escalating tensions at the Uday Pratap College here over a mosque located on its premises, police on Thursday restricted outsiders' entry to the campus, allowing only students with valid identity cards. The move follows Tuesday's unrest after students recited Hanuman Chalisa when namaz was being offered near the mosque. Seven men were briefly detained after the row on Tuesday, according to the local police. Student leader Vivekanand Singh on Thursday said, "Police personnel are stationed at the college gate, checking identity cards to ensure that no outsiders enter the campus. A group of students is also monitoring the gate." He added that no one came to offer namaz on Thursday and that additional precautions will be taken on Friday during the "Jumma" prayers. In a related development, students of the college have formed a "student court" and sent an 11-point letter to the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board, demanding a response within 15 days regarding the status of the mosque and its

FIR filed against Karnataka seer over remarks on Muslim voting rights

An FIR has been registered against Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji for his remarks on voting power to Muslims, police said on Friday. He made the statement during a protest meeting organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh here on Tuesday against notices issued by Karnataka's waqf board. Urging everyone to unite to protect farmers and their land, Swamiji said that a law should be brought in where Muslims community don't have the voting power. Stating that it should be ensured there is no Waqf board, he said someone taking away someone else's land is not "Dharma". "...everyone should fight against injustice being caused to farmers...it is said that the Waqf board can claim anyone's land. It is a big injustice...someone taking away someone else's land is not Dharma... So, everyone should fight to ensure that farmers' land remains with them," the seer had said. However, on Wednesday, Swamiji expressed regret over his statement, calling it a "s

Muslims who voted for Donald Trump upset by his pro-Israel cabinet pick

Muslim support for Trump helped him win Michigan and may have factored into other swing state wins