Modi vs. the Mosque: The Waqf Bill and Its Impact on India’s Muslims
The recent Waqf Bill passed by the Indian government aims to reform how properties donated by Muslims are governed. Muslims have traditionally donated their personal property – including schools, mosques, and land – to Waqf foundations for religious or charitable reasons. Under the guise of regulation, the state is seizing these donations, which have long funded education, healthcare, and social welfare for Muslims in India.
The amended act introduces modifications that jeopardise the rights and position of Muslims in India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the passing of the Waqf Bill by calling it a “watershed moment.” He even tweeted that the bill would help India’s quest for “socio-economic justice.” However, reality tells us this is something far more insidious. Modi has passed this bill in yet another attempt to push through his anti-Muslim agenda.
Indian politician and women’s rights activist Brinda Karat described the bill as a “bulldozer against the believers of Islam” and further added that the bill “snatched away their constitutional rights”. As per the Sharia, Waqf properties have always been governed by an all-Muslim board. Now, the new bill has replaced the trusted members of the community with government-appointed officials who have previously attempted to seize places of worship, educational institutions, health care facilities, and vocational centres from Muslims and put them into the hands of the government.
This issue extends beyond mere concern and reflects a broader global trend of exploitation affecting communities worldwide, from Lagos to Kashmir and throughout the Global South. Power dynamics ensure that marginalised groups are losing control over their resources, which in turn impacts their livelihoods and ultimately their freedom. The introduction of the Waqt Bill represents yet another effort by the right-wing Hindu extremist party, Bharatiya Janata Party, to divide Indians by promoting this anti-Muslim policy.
These policies are not isolated acts of reformation but part of a continued effort that seeks to control or erase Muslims’ identity. France’s Hijab ban aims to control how Muslims express themselves, framing erasure as liberation. This same logic applies to the Waqf bill, which centralises control of Islamic institutions under the non-Muslim state. Be it dress code or through ownership of institutions, these policies aim to remove Muslim autonomy, reflecting a project of suppressing the rights of Muslims and their communal power.
The Waqf bill is a reflection of a broader pattern of systematic oppression faced by Indian Muslims, along with other minorities, whereby their cultural, religious, and communal rights are at risk. This move, like many before it, raises concerns about how far PM Modi is willing to go in erasing the rights of Muslims under the guise of regulation. The Indian Muslim community is continually at risk of being further marginalised in a nation gearing towards another BJP general election victory in 2029.
As we look toward the future, we must begin to ask ourselves, How many more rights must be taken away before the world recognises the situation of Muslims in India?
