Allah Nawaz Khan
The miserable condition of Muslims in India is no secret to anyone. India claims to be a secular country, but the facts are quite different. Muslims and other minorities face oppression and tyranny, and their places of worship are frequently targeted. Many mosques belonging to Muslims have been destroyed, and graves have also been desecrated. The biggest example of this is the Babri Mosque, which was demolished, after which the construction of a temple was started at the site. The government and the judiciary cooperated in the demolition of the Babri Mosque. This process did not stop after the Babri Mosque; it is still continuing. Even now, attempts are being made to target several places of worship. Not only Muslim mosques but also the worship places of other minorities are under threat.
Recently, another historic mosque has been handed over after being declared as a temple site, which is extremely unfortunate. This mosque is known as Kamal Mola Mosque. Construction of this mosque was started in 1305 by Maulana Kamaluddin Chishti and completed in 1360. Now this mosque has been handed over to Hindus, and this decision was made by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
It was claimed that a temple of Goddess Saraswati existed here earlier and the mosque was built on its site. It is clear that the Hindu claim that a temple existed here is false. In 1904 also, Hindus had claimed that a temple existed here. Now Hindus are forcibly snatching mosques from Muslims, and the regrettable thing is that this is being done through the judiciary.
In the past, a decision was made that Hindus would perform worship on Tuesdays and Muslims would offer Friday prayers. Muslims had reluctantly accepted this decision because there was no other option. Now complete orders have been issued to stop the offering of prayers, and it has been said that worship (puja) will be performed here. It is very difficult even to imagine the pain Muslims will have to endure due to puja being performed inside the mosque.
It has been said that an alternative place will be given for the mosque. In the same way, mosques or other places of worship can be occupied. To satisfy the international community, it can be claimed that an alternative place is being provided. After some time, even those alternative places will be brought under control.
These actions clearly show that India is secular only in name, but Hinduisation is being promoted. Hindus are not only occupying places of worship but are also carrying out forced religious conversions. Weak minorities are forced to endure Hindu oppression. Hindus are also damaging the businesses of Muslims and other minorities.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has announced that it will approach the Supreme Court against the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision declaring Kamal Mola Mosque as a Saraswati Temple, citing historical facts, evidence, and the previous stance of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) itself.
The Board’s spokesman, Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, said: “This decision is against historical evidence, historical and revenue records, colonial-era records, and centuries of continuous Muslim worship. Moreover, this decision is directly in conflict with the Places of Worship Act.”
Jamaat-e-Islami has also expressed concern over this unjust decision. According to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s Amir, Syed Saadatullah Husaini, “This decision is a matter of serious concern for the credibility of the judicial system, minority rights, and the secular structure of the country.”
The Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad, made it clear that puja will now be performed inside this premises and permission for prayers (namaz) has been denied.
This decision of the court proves that bias was exercised. According to the spokesman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the previous stance of the Archaeological Survey of India also acknowledged the shared religious character of this place. Hindus were allowed to worship on Tuesdays, and Muslims already had permission to offer Friday prayers.
The spokesman said that the 1991 Act is an important law of India that prevents the religious character of any place of worship (mosque, temple, gurdwara, church, etc.) from being changed. According to this Act, the religious status that existed at the time of independence should be maintained so that communal disputes do not arise.
According to the Muslim side’s position, the revenue records also recognize the building as a mosque.
It should be noted that the court gave this decision on the basis of the ASI’s survey report. There are clear objections to this report. The evidence presented in court after the survey was highly suspicious. The video of the excavation made during the survey was also suspicious. It was claimed that remains of a temple were found in the mosque’s construction.
The Board’s spokesman said: “It should be kept in mind that in many medieval Islamic structures, old construction material was reused. Merely finding temple remains does not legally end the centuries-old status of the mosque.”
The artifacts found during the excavation do not appear ancient either; their shine suggests they belong to modern times. Additionally, some material was found that does not match ancient periods. Hindus claim that a temple existed here before the mosque, but the material being found does not appear very old. The possibility cannot be ruled out that some things were deliberately buried in the mosque to strengthen their case. Since Hindus had permission to worship on Tuesdays, they could have done anything at that time. In any case, Hindus could have buried anything in the mosque courtyard at any time.
The Board is fighting its legal battle, but there is little hope that the mosque will be returned. The Babri Mosque verdict was also given, and even now it is difficult for the Kamal Mola Mosque to be returned to Muslims. Muslims’ claim is strong that this centuries-old mosque was built by Muslims and there was no Saraswati temple at this site. Despite being truthful in their claim, Muslims are losing because the government belongs to the Hindus.
Indian Muslims are making efforts on their part, but the international community should also pressure India to grant religious freedom to Muslims and other minorities. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, and all Islamic countries should warn India to stop the unfair treatment of minorities.
In the past, the Babri Mosque and many other mosques were demolished. Now, besides Kamal Mola Mosque, other mosques are also being targeted. This process will not stop; more places of worship will be destroyed in the future. Indian Muslims will have to unite and take action against these oppressive measures, otherwise it will be too late.
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