Waqf Act: Dawoodi Bohras Support Centre's Move, Thank PM Modi For 'Recognising Community'

Days after the Parliament passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, triggering widespread discontent among the broader Muslim community, the Dawoodi Bohras, a Shia Ismaili minority sect, have come out in support of the new law, which seeks to improve the efficiency and management of Waqf properties. 

A delegation of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims, including women, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to thank the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government for addressing the community바카라�s longstanding concerns in the new Waqf Act. The latest Waqf amendments make special provision for the inclusion of Bohra and Agakhani minority communities as members in the state Waqf board. 

바카라�This is the first time that Waqf laws explicitly mention the Dawoodi Bohra community, which signals the recognition of our distinct religious identity. We wanted to thank the Modi government for this special gesture of including our community in the Waqf,바카라� said a representative of the community from Mumbai. 

The Dawoodi Bohras are a small but influential and prosperous Shia mercantile minority, primarily residing along the western coast of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Known for their distinct religious practices, attire, and cultural traditions, the community follows the 'al-Dai al-Mutlaq', also referred to as 'Syedna', as their religious and spiritual leader, making them different from other Muslim groups in the country. 

The community owns large tracts of Waqf properties in Mumbai, Pune, Surat, and Ahmedabad, whose sole trustee or 'Mutawalli' is the Syedna.

바카라�All affairs of the community and its welfare are overseen by the Syedna. We have various types of trusts that don바카라�t fall under the purview of Waqf as defined by the current provisions. The government has made several amendments to accommodate our specific needs on the Waqf Board,바카라� said another member of the community.

The legal recognition in the Waqf board will help the community to have greater autonomy, avoid conflict and interference and improve accountability of Waqf properties, he said. 

Another member said that since the community had no representation on Waqf bodies and tribunals at the state or centre, they could not represent their interests. 바카라�We are a minority within the Muslim minority바카라�and therefore vulnerable to attacks. Now that we have guaranteed representation on the Waqf board, we can express our concerns about the maintenance and operation of our Waqf properties.바카라� 

During a meeting at the Prime Minister바카라�s residence in New Delhi, members of the Dawoodi Bohra community shared their concerns with Modi about how the previous Waqf law had adversely impacted them.

They highlighted the case of the ambitious Bhendi Bazar redevelopment project in South Mumbai, undertaken by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), which was stalled following objections over the demolition and redevelopment of the Musafirkhana building바카라�allegedly classified as a Waqf property.

The SBUT acquired Musafirkhana in 2015; however, even after being the owner of the building could not develop it due to its contested Waqf status, the member said in a video released by the PMO. The Maharashtra Waqf Board issued an order on April 8, declaring Musafirkhana as a non-Waqf property. But after fresh objections were recorded against the decision, the board issued a stay order. 

Modi shares a special bond with the community and their religious leader, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin. He has singled out the Dawoodi Bohras as a model Muslim minority and praised their contributions to nation-building, development and social integration.

In 2023, he inaugurated the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, the principal educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohras in Mumbai and visited the community바카라�s 1000-year-old historic Imam al-Hakim bi Amr Allah Mosque in Cairo, during an official visit to Egypt.