Page 5 - Muslims

'China expanding its crackdown on mosques to regions outside Xinjiang'

The Chinese government has expanded its campaign of closing mosques to regions other than Xinjiang, where for years it has been blamed for persecuting Muslim minorities, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday. Authorities have closed mosques in the northern Ningxia region as well as Gansu province, which are home to large populations of Hui Muslims, as part of a process known officially as consolidation, according to the report, which draws on public documents, satellite images and witness testimonies. Local authorities also have been removing architectural features of mosques to make them look more Chinese," part of a campaign by the ruling Communist Party to tighten control over religion and reduce the risk of possible challenges to its rule. President Xi Jinping in 2016 called for the Sinicization of religions, initiating a crackdown that has largely concentrated on the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 11 million Uyghurs and other Muslim ...

In battle for states: BJP, Congress reach out to seers; field fewer Muslims

In Madhya Pradesh, the ruling BJP has not fielded a single Muslim among its 230 candidates

Congress and AIUDF have relationship of votes with Muslims: Himanta

The Congress and AIUDF have a "relationship of votes" with the Muslim community in Assam and over the years votes have been sought from them by creating an "atmosphere of fear", Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Saturday. Both the parties have a relationship with the Muslims of migrant origin till they get the votes but they have not taken any steps for their development or in the areas where they live, Sarma said at a press conference here. They have not constructed any roads, bridges, schools, colleges for them, he said. 'As a first step, we have taken measures to improve the living conditions of the indigenous Assamese Muslims and a survey will be soon conducted on them', he said. For the remaining Muslims (migrants) also the state government has taken steps to stop child marriage and madrasa education along with setting up new schools, colleges and health institutions, bridges to improve communication and electrification, the CM said. 'We are working for this sec

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BJP to start 'Sadbhavna Yatra' in December to connect with minorities

Through this journey, the Minority Morcha aims to bridge the gap between the Muslim community and the BJP and work towards greater Muslim community participation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

EID Milad-un Nabi Mubarak 2023: 10 Best wishes, quotes and messages

One of the most auspicious Muslim festivals will be celebrated across the world. Here are the best wishes, quotes and messages to share with your beloved friends and family members

Delhi Police announces traffic restriction ahead of Chehlum procession

Chehlum is observed on the 40th day after Muharram which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad

Targeted violence, collective punishment given to Muslims: AIMIM's Owaisi

Owaisi was responding to the violence that had broken out between two groups on July 31 in Haryana's Nuh district that has claimed the lives of six people including two Home Guards

ASI conducts scientific survey of Gyanvapi for 2nd day, to continue on Sun

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday examined the central hall of the Gyanvapi mosque on the second day of the scientific survey to determine if the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. Five members from the Muslim side were also present during the survey, after having stayed away on Friday. Government counsel Rajesh Mishra, who was with the ASI survey team a day before as well, on Saturday said the team started work in the morning and completed it by 5 pm. The survey work was stopped between 1 pm to 3 pm for lunch. ASI officials told PTI that the survey work will resume again at 8 am on Sunday. According to ASI officials, the team examined the central hall of the mosque where Namaz is offered. The team also surveyed a few basement areas in the complex. Advocate Tauheed Khan for the Muslim side said two lawyers of the Intezamia Masjid Committee accompanied the survey team. A lawyer for the Hindu side Sudhir Tripathi

Muslim student enrolment in higher education up by 183,000 in 2016-21: MoE

The enrolment of Muslim students in higher education institutions increased to 19.22 lakh in 2020-21 from 17.39 lakh in 2016-17, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar said on Wednesday. The number of teachers from the Muslim community also increased significantly to 86,314 in 2020-21 from 67,215 in 2016-17, he said. The minister shared the statistics from the All India Survey on Higher Education, 2020-21, in response to a written question in the Rajya Sabha. "As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2020-21, the enrolment of Muslim students has increased to 19.22 lakh in 2020-21 from 17.39 lakh in 2016-17. The number of teachers from the Muslim community has shown (a) significant increase to 86,314 in 2020-21 from 67,215 in 2016-17, as reported under AISHE, 2020-21," he said. "The government is encouraging minority students through various initiatives," Sarkar added. He shared that the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs implements three educational ..

PM Modi asks NDA MPs to reach out to Muslim women, cites triple talaq ban

Asserting that his government's decision to ban triple talaq has boosted overall sense of security for Muslim women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked BJP leaders to reach out to them during the upcoming festival of Raksha Bandhan. Sources said Modi made the remarks at a meeting of BJP-led NDA MPs from West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand on Monday night in which he and other senior BJP leaders highlighted various development initiatives of the central government for different sections of society as the alliance gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Some MPs present in the meeting said Modi emphasised the need to connect with every section of society and then noted his government's decision to ban the practice of instant divorce among Muslim men. The government has criminalised the practice. He said this decision has been a big boost for Muslim women, some MPs present in the meeting said, adding that the prime minister asked them to organise programmes during Raksha Bandhan t

Projected population of Muslims in 2023 to stand at 197.5 mn: Govt in LS

The projected population of Muslims in India in 2023 would stand at 19.75 crore, the government has informed the Lok Sabha. In a written reply to a question by TMC MP Mala Roy in Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani said as per the Census 2011, Muslim population is 17.22 crore, which constitutes 14.2 per cent of the total population of the country. "As per the report of the Technical Group on Population Projections, July 2020, National Commission on Population, country's projected population in 2023 stands at 138.82 crore. Accordingly, applying the same proportion of 14.2 per cent, as was there in Census 2011, projected population of Muslims in 2023 would stand at 19.75 crore," Irani said. As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021-22 conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, literacy rate of Muslims aged seven and above stands at 77.7 per cent and the labour force participation rate for all ages as per usual status stands at 35.1 pe

Islamic New Year: From date, history to importance of Muharram 2023

Saudi Arabia has declared the first day of Muharram 2023, signalling the beginning of the Islamic New Year. Muharram holds critical significance for Muslims of all sects, globally

Non-codified Muslim personal law has posed challenges for women: NCW

The non-codified nature of Muslim personal law has led to misinterpretation and posed significant challenges for Muslim women, the National Commission for Women said during a deliberation on Saturday. The National Commission for Women (NCW) held the deliberation to discuss the rights of Muslim women, with a specific focus on reviewing Muslim Personal Law. The consultation took place in the backdrop of the Law Commission's recent call to seek responses from various organisations and the public regarding the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code. The NCW highlighted the negative impact of the non-codified nature of Muslim personal law, which has led to misinterpretation and posed significant challenges for Muslim women. The chairperson of the NCW, in a statement, underscored the urgency of codified laws. She questioned whether a law that fails to protect the rights of Hindu, Christian, Sikh, and Buddhist women can truly be considered only for Muslim women. The need for codified law

Assam CM creating divide between Muslims, Asamese people: Badruddin Ajmal

The AIUDF chief alleged further that Sarma's statement creates a chasm between the Muslims and the other Asamese people, including the youth

Since triple talaq law, rate of divorce among Muslims down 96%: Kerala Guv

The rate of divorce among Muslims has "come down by 96 per cent" since triple talaq was made a punishable offence under the law in 2019 and this has benefitted women and children, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Thursday. Addressing a gathering at a seminar here on Uniform Civil Code (UCC), he also wondered is it not odd that when one seeks justice, religion has to be stated first. On the All India Muslim Personal Law Board sending its objections on UCC to the Law Commission, Khan said everyone has a right to express their opinion. "The Law Commission has sought suggestions... And, I am very hopeful that all suggestions that will come up, will get full attention from the Law Commission and the government," he told reporters later. The UCC refers to a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs. The Law Commission had on June 14 initiated a fresh consultatio

India home to 2nd largest population of Muslims in world: President Murmu

India, as a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, celebrates unity in diversity and its over 200 million Muslims make the country the second largest population of the community in the world, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday. Welcoming Muslim World League Secretary General Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who had called on the president at Rashtrapati Bhavan here, Murmu said India appreciates the role and objectives of the Muslim World League in promoting tolerant values, moderation of consciousness and inter-faith dialogue. She stated that India, as a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, celebrates unity in diversity, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. "Our more than 200 million Indian Muslim brothers and sisters make us the country with the second largest population of Muslims in the world," the president said. Murmu said India attaches great importance to its relationship with Saudi Arabia. She said both the ...

Opposed to UCC as it's against religious freedom: Jamiat to Law Commission

Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has conveyed to the Law Commission that it is opposed to a uniform civil code as it is "against the religious freedom" guaranteed under the Constitution, and said the government should take leaders of all religions and tribal groups into confidence on the matter. In a statement on Thursday, the Jamiat shared a summary of the objections that were sent by it to the 22nd Law Commission on Wednesday in which the Muslim organisation said that it considers starting of the debate on UCC a part of a "political conspiracy". In a letter to the Law Commission, Jamiat president Maulana Arshad Madani said that this issue is not just related to Muslims but to all Indians. "It has been our position since the beginning that we have been practising our religion freely in this country...we will not compromise on our religious affairs and method of worship in any way, and we will take all possible measures to protect our religious rights within the scope of th

Muslim groups in Kerala to put up legal, political fight against UCC

UCC is not an issue of Muslims, it is of all people. We will unite all people against it and fight legally and politically,' said Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) state president

'Minority communities benefitted most from welfare schemes under Modi govt'

Bharatiya Janata Party's minority cell national general secretary Sufi M K Chishty has claimed Muslims and people from other minority communities benefitted the most from welfare schemes during the last nine years of the Narendra Modi government. Addressing a rally in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday to highlight works done by the Modi government, Chishty also criticised the Congress, claiming it only gave assurances to the people during its 50 years of governance but did not do any work on the ground. Chishty said Muslims and people from other minority communities benefited from various schemes of the Modi government, including those for providing housing, health benefits and pertaining to the welfare of farmers. "Till 2014, only 4.5 per cent Muslims were government employees, and the figure has gone up to 10.5 per cent in the last nine years," he said. The BJP and the Modi government do not indulge in differentiation of people on the basis of caste, creed