BJP minister’s defence of Qadianis unwarranted, illogical: JUH

India: The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has said that BJP Minister, Smriti Irani’s Defence of Qadianis is unwarranted and illogical.

The Jamiat in a press release issued in New Delhi on Tuesday said, “The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind supports the stance taken by the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board regarding Qadianis. It asserts that the stand reflects the unanimous position of the entire Muslims.”

The statement said the Waqf Board’s primary purpose was to safeguard the endowments and interests of Muslims, as defined in the Waqf Act. “Therefore, properties and places of worship belonging to a community that is not recognised as Muslim do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Waqf Board. This position was established by the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board in 2009, following the representation made by Jamiat Ulama Andhra Pradesh. Recently, the incumbent Waqf Board reiterated the same stance in its statement in February this year,” the press release said.

Indian Ministry of Minority Affairs and BJP leader Smriti Irani sent a strongly-worded letter to the Andhra Pradesh government calling the Waqf Board’s resolution a hate campaign.

The Jamiat press release issued by its Secretary, Niaz A. Farooqui, said the religion of Islam rests on two fundamental beliefs: Tawheed, affirming the Oneness of Allah, and the belief that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final Messenger of Allah. Both of these beliefs are integral components of the five basic pillars of Islam.

“Contrary to these essential Islamic beliefs, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani took a position that challenges the concept of the finality of Prophethood. In light of this principled and factual difference, there is no basis to consider Qadianism as an Islamic sect, and all Islamic schools of thought agree that this group is non-Muslim,” the press release said.

The Jamiat pointed out that World Muslim League (MWL), the reputed Islamic organisation, has declared that this group was outside the fold of Islam and holds hostility towards Muslims. Representatives of 110 countries unanimously took this decision during the MWL meeting in April 1974, it said.