On Tuesday, 25th July 2023, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind passed a resolution to assert that Ahmadiyyas or Qadianis are not Muslims. The top Muslim organisation in India came ahead to support Andhra Pradesh Waqf Boards that earlier passed a similar resolution against Ahmadiyyas and refused to identify them as Muslims. The union ministry for minority affairs wrote a letter to the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board in this regard and asked who gave them the right to issue a Fatwa against the Qadianis.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said in its resolution said that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board’s stance on Ahmadiyyas reflects the unanimous position of the entire Muslims. Jamiat’s latest stand has come in sharp contrast with the union ministry’s statement on behalf of the Ahmadiyyas who are a minority sect within the Muslim community.
Earlier, on Friday, July 21, 2023, taking a firm stance against the fatwa declaring Ahmadiyyas as non-Muslims, the Central Government confronted the Andhra Pradesh government and the Waqf Board in the state. The Ministry of Minority Affairs raised concerns about the religious rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and questioned the validity of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf board’s issuance of a fatwa against them.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs issued a strongly worded letter to the Andhra Pradesh government, condemning the Waqf Board’s resolution as a hate campaign with potentially far-reaching ramifications nationwide.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs’ Joint Secretary, CPS Bakshi, addressed a letter to the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh KS Jawahar Reddy, expressing disapproval over the Waqf board’s actions. He questioned the board’s authority to issue a fatwa that expels a community from Islam, emphasising that no entity should have the power to strip away the religious rights of any community.
Back in 2012, the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board adopted a resolution declaring the entire Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslim. Subsequently, this resolution faced a legal challenge, leading to the Andhra Pradesh High Court issuing an order for the interim suspension of the resolution. The controversy escalated in February 2023 when the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board labelled the Ahmadiyya Muslim community as infidels, citing the fatwa of Jamait ul Ulema. Furthermore, the board issued an official order designating them as non-Muslims. In response to this action, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Minority Affairs on 20th July 2023, to express their protest against the board’s decision.
The ministry has observed in its letter that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board has issued another proclamation under the signature of its Chairman despite the High Court orders. A resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board in February 2023 categorically said, “In consequence to the Fatwa of Jamiat ul Ulema, Andhra Pradesh dated May 26th, 2009, the `Qadiani community’ is proclaimed as `kafir’ and not a Muslim.”
Questioning the authority of the Waqf Board to issue such a fatwa, the central Ministry of minority affairs clarified that the Waqf Act, 1995 is the primary legislation for the administration and management of Waqf properties in India and does not confer any power to State Waqf Boards to make such proclamations.