Masjid status cannot be changed: Maulana Arshad Madani
AMN / NEW DELHI
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief Maulana Syed Arshad Madani today said that chairman or president of any waqf board has no right to donate or surrender any mosque or wakf property as he is only a custodian or trustee of the wakf properties and not an owner.
On UP Waqf board’s reported move to withdraw its appeal, Jamiat president explained that Masjid is dedicated to the Almighty Allah and even the person who endowed any plot of land for this purpose which becomes the property of the Almighty Allah, has no right to take back that plot of land dedicated for the mosque or change its status.
Maulana Madani also said the Babri Masjid case was not a custody suit but a title suit and the Supreme. Court will to adjudicate it.
Reacting over development in the Supreme Court in the ongoing hearing in the Babri Masjid case, JuH president forcefully reiterated its stand on the historic Babri Masjid that its status cannot be changed at any cost and no institution or individual has authority to surrender or gift the mosque.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH), which is also one of the 8 parties to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi title dispute case, asserted that the Masjid masjid status is not negotiable. On the Sunni Waqf Board’s reported move to drop its appeals in the matter, JUH president Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said it will not have any bearing on the case as the stand of the Indian Muslims on the status of the Babri Masjid has been always remained the same that a land dedicated for the Masjid, its status cannot be altered, changed or transferred in any manner. “In the light of Sharia laws, Muslims have not right to change the status of the Mosque as it always remains the place of worship till the day of judgment, therefore, Muslims cannot surrender their claim on the mosque or transport it to another place,” Maulana Madani emphasized.
He also averred that the Indian Muslims’ claim is based on historical facts and evidences that Babri Masjid was constructed without demolishing any temple (Hindu mandir) or any other place of worship.
He underlined the final hearing in the Babri masjid case began after several mediation efforts failed to produce any results but what has had happened in the last stage of the hearing was unfortunate. He said it might be a deliberate attempt to demoralize the Muslim community psychologically as their case is very in the apex court, he added.
He underscored that since from the beginning, the Babri masjid was the victim of unlawful and highhanded acts. “First, in December 1949, Hindutva activists surreptitiously placed idols of the baby Ram and Sita in the mosque, following which the premises were locked by the UP state government and then in February 1986, the locks were reopened and finally in December 1992 the mosque was pulled down in the broad daylight in the presence of thousands of police personnel and a makeshift temple was built on its land,” he pointed out.
Maulana Madani said the Constitution of India empowers us to fight this injustice through legal means and we have been fighting the case in the court of the land.
Reaffirming that Indian Muslims respect and keep full faith in the Constitution and the judiciary, Jamait president said they are waiting the apex court’s judgment in the Babri masjid case.
Maulana Arshad Madani also thanked and appreciated the Jamiat’s legal team particularly Sr. Adv. Dr. Rajiv Dhavan, and Eijaz Maqbool for their services. He said both the counsels have defended and argued the case par excellence and presented all the evidence before the apex court in effective manner.