Muslim devotees wearing black armbands during ‘namaz’ on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan, outside a mosque in Kolkata on March 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s appeal to Muslim community members to wear a black armband when they offer Jumatul Vida (last Friday of Ramzan) prayers was greeted with a huge response. The Board had asked the community members to protest in this peaceful manner against the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, and other cities, Muslim men offered the Friday prayers with a black armband on their kurta. In many mosques, the Friday sermon was used to alert the community to the repercussions if the Bill is passed by the Parliament. In the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi, hundreds of men could be seen wearing the black ribbon on the arm as a mark of protest against the Bill.
“There would have been an even greater response had the imam given a similar call,” a worshipper said after Friday prayers concluded. Imam Ahmed Bukhari, it may be noted, had maintained silence on the subject. “We are very happy with the response. We gave a very late call to protest in this peaceful way but the response across the country has been overwhelming. It shows the community’s desperation to safeguard its assets,” S.Y.R. Ilyas, spokesman of the Board, said.
Significantly, Sambhal, in the eye of a storm following the local police’s warning to cancel the arm license and passports of those found offering Eid namaz on the pavements, several young men responded to the Board’s call by wearing the armbands in Friday prayers. Most people either stitched the armband themselves or purchased a black ribbon from the market. In many cases, they simply tied a piece of black clothing on their arm. All the worshippers dispersed peacefully after the prayer.
The donning of black armband is part of the Board’s continued efforts to involve the common man in the fight against the Waqf Bill. It had earlier held a multi-party dharna in New Delhi besides holding protests in Patna, Vijaywada, and Hyderabad.
People collect black-bands and tie them as part of a nation-wide silent protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill, outside of the Mecca Masjid in old city of Hyderabad on March 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
Nagara Gopal
Earlier, during the deliberations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), the Board had appealed to the community to write emails to the Committee opposing the Waqf Bill. Over 1.2 core people had responded by writing to the JPC, expressing fears that the Bill might result in usurpation of the community’s assets.
The black armband protest is part of the AIMPLB’s sustained bid to oppose the Bill using all Constitutional and democratic means available. The Board’s 31-member Action Committee had resolved to adopt all constitutional, legal and democratic means to oppose the bill, which was described as “controversial, discriminatory and damaging”. The Board got a shot in the arm when its Patna protest got enthusiastic support from the Rashtra Janata Dal with the party’s senior leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejasvi Yadav issuing statements against the proposed amendments.
Published – March 29, 2025 02:14 am IST
