Indian Muslims go to court to save 150-year-old mosque
Mosque committee asks court to halt demolition and over $620,000 fine, arguing historic structure predates many government records cited in case
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — The committee of a 150-year-old mosque in northern India has appealed a court order directing its demolition within a month, seeking an immediate stay on the ruling as it fights to preserve one of the city’s historic Islamic landmarks.
The appeal, filed before a district court in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, challenges a city magistrate’s order requiring the demolition of the historic Collectorate Mosque and imposing a fine of more than 60 million Indian rupees ($623,000).
During the initial hearing, the district court accepted the appeal, called for the original case records from the lower court and scheduled the next hearing for July 23.
The mosque committee argues that the demolition order ignores extensive historical and legal evidence establishing the mosque’s existence for well over a century. Lawyers representing the mosque said they would pursue the case through the state high court and India’s Supreme Court if necessary.
According to lawyers for the mosque committee, historical documents include rental records dating back to April 1960, municipal records listing the mosque separately from nearby government buildings, and electricity records showing the mosque obtained a power connection in 1911, only a few years after electricity was introduced to the city.
The committee is also coordinating with the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board to compile historical deeds and other archival documents that could be presented as evidence during the legal proceedings.
Lawyers asked the court to prevent any construction or administrative action that could interfere with prayers at the mosque while the case remains under judicial consideration, arguing that authorities should not take irreversible action before the courts reach a final decision.
The dispute comes amid a growing number of legal battles involving historic mosques across India. In recent years, Muslim organizations have increasingly turned to the courts to challenge demolition orders, land disputes and claims over centuries-old mosques, arguing that a combination of administrative actions and campaigns by Hindu nationalist groups is placing the country’s Islamic religious and architectural heritage under growing pressure.
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