Oman’s Mufti Urges Respect for Muslims’ Rights in India
Sheikh Ahmad bin Hamad Al-Khalili in a post on Twitter called for an end to pressures and discriminations against India’s Muslims, alkhaleejonline.net reported.
He voiced solidarity with Indian Muslims and criticized the New Delhi government for failing to stop the anti-Muslim moves.
The cleric said when India was ruled by Muslim rulers for centuries, the rights of followers of other faiths used to be respected and the rulers treated others with tolerance, justice and uprightness.
He urged India’s government to respect the rights of Muslim minority in the South Asian country.
Last week, local media reported that several schools in the Indian state of Karnataka had denied entry to Muslim girls wearing hijab, citing an education ministry order.
Karnataka’s chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced on Tuesday that all high schools in the state would be closed for three days. He also appealed for calm.
Female Muslim students say wearing hijab is a fundamental right to religion guaranteed by the constitution.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governs Karnataka, where 12% of the population is Muslim. The ban has galvanized fears among the Muslim community about what they say is increasing persecution under the Hindu nationalist government.
