Prominent Muslim body backs Andhra Waqf Board denouncement of Ahmadiyya Muslims

In view of the blowing up of the controversy of Ahmadiyya Muslims in connection to their roots and identity, a prominent Muslim organisation cleared the air on the subject by backing the board which denounced Ahmadiyyas as non-Muslims.

Just a day after the Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani made a comment on the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board calling Ahmadiyya Muslims 'Kafirs' in a press conference, the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind has extended its support to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board regarding Qadianis or Ahmadiyya Muslims, saying that it is the unanimous opinion of the entire Ummah. 

Responding to the comment by Irani, the Muslim body said, "Union Minister Smriti Irani's insistence in this regard is unwarranted and illogical, as the Waqf Board has been set up to protect the Waqf properties and interests of Muslims, as spelt out in the Waqf Act. Therefore, the properties and places of worship of a community that is not a Muslim do not come under its ambit."
It was back in the year 2012 that the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board passed a resolution declaring the entire Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslims. The High Court later issued an order which suspended the operation of the resolution on an interim basis.

While the Centre, after taking cognisance of this denouncement of a section of Muslims, said, the Waqf Board's decision is a "hate campaign" that could have nationwide repercussions, the community of Ahmadiyya Muslims also made a fresh comment.
"This is nothing but an attempt to create disorder in the peaceful atmosphere of the country and to incite people against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. No one has the right to declare the Ahmadiyya Muslim community as non-Muslims," said K Tariq Ahmad, spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at India.

In a conversation with Republic, AIMPLB Executive Member, Kamal Farooqui while commenting on this controversy alleged that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board doesn't have the authority or agency to declare any member of the Muslim community as 'non-Muslims'. He condemned the decision by the board and urged them not to give the Central government any reasons to create a controversy by seeing this as an issue of divide amongst Muslims.

The Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board, in February this year, issued a proclamation that stated, "In consequent to the Fatwa of Jamiatul Ulema, Andhra Pradesh dated May 26th, 2009, the ‘Qadiani community’ is proclaimed as ‘kafir’ and not a Muslim. Accordingly, it has been acclaimed all over the globe in consonance with the fatwa issued by many authoritative worldwide organisations and Islamic Universities."