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ISLAMABAD: A US government panel heard allegations of escalating persecution of Muslims and Christians in India, with activists and experts accusing members of the ruling BJP and affiliated Hindu nationalist groups of enabling hate speech, violence and discrimination, according to Clarion India on Wednesday.&nbsp; The testimony was presented in Washington before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan body that advises the US government on global religious freedom issues.&nbsp; Among those testifying was journalist and researcher Raqib Hameed Naik, who is the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate and founder of India Hate Lab, which tracks hate speech and anti-minority violence in India.&nbsp; In his testimony, Naik said that &ldquo;attacks against minorities are no longer isolated incidents but part of a broader climate of impunity&rdquo; adding that, &quot;hate speech targeting Muslims and Christians has become normalized in India&rsquo;s political and public discourse.&quot; According to figures cited in his testimony, 1,318 incidents of hate speech were recorded in 21 Indian states in 2025, marking what he described as a 97% rise compared with 2023. Naik reportedly called for targeted Global Magnitsky sanctions against BJP leaders and Hindu nationalist figures accused of inciting or enabling violence against minorities.&nbsp; Lamenting on the nefarious methods used by Hindutva and racist groups to target minorities, Naik said that, &quot;We have long noticed unmarked cars and suspicious figures at our protests, community gatherings, mosques, and gurdwaras.&quot; He alleged that anti-Muslim and anti-Christian hate campaigns have increasingly become normalized in political rallies, religious gatherings and online spaces.&nbsp; The hearing also focused on allegations that homes, businesses and places of worship belonging to minorities have been demolished or attacked in several Indian states.&nbsp; &ldquo;If this trend continues, India could become one of the countries with the largest internally displaced populations in the world,&rdquo; Naik told the commission. He called on the US to designate India as a &ldquo;Country of Particular Concern&rdquo; under international religious freedom provisions. Hate speech has intensified under ModiCritics at the hearing argued that hate speech against Muslims and Christians has intensified under Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s government and the BJP&rsquo;s broader Hindutva political ideology.&nbsp; According to Reuters and rights groups cited during discussions, attacks on minorities, anti-conversion laws and inflammatory rhetoric have drawn repeated international concern in recent years.&nbsp; India Hate Lab data showed a rise in anti-minority hate speech incidents, with most cases allegedly occurring in BJP-governed regions.&nbsp; Witnesses also accused social media platforms of amplifying anti-Muslim and anti-Christian narratives while failing to adequately moderate extremist content.&nbsp; &#39;Transnational repression&#39; The hearing reportedly examined what activists described as &ldquo;transnational repression,&rdquo; including intimidation and harassment faced by critics of the Indian government abroad.&nbsp; The Indian government has repeatedly rejected accusations of discrimination against minorities and has dismissed earlier USCIRF and US religious freedom reports as &ldquo;biased&rdquo; and politically motivated.&nbsp; New Delhi maintains that its policies benefit all communities equally and argues that foreign criticism often misunderstands India&rsquo;s social and constitutional framework.&nbsp; The latest hearing nevertheless adds to growing international scrutiny over religious freedom and minority rights in India, particularly as rights organizations continue documenting attacks, hate speech and communal tensions across the country.

India

Hears allegations of rising persecution, hate speech and violence against Muslims and Christians in India, with activists urging sanctions against alleged BJP-linked offenders.

US panel hears claims of rising persecution of Muslims, Christians in India

ISLAMABAD: The Chairperson of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Vicky Hartzler, said in a post on X on Saturday that the Indian government &ldquo;continues to implement and enforce discriminatory legislation, including harsh anti-conversion laws&rdquo; used to target and harass religious minorities, as the commission renewed concern over freedom of religion conditions in the country.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2032109645666410862&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=7d0fa49dd67c9941107d432a928e8889b5009988&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The remarks accompanied the release of the commission&rsquo;s 2026 annual report, which again recommended that India be designated a &ldquo;country of particular concern&rdquo; for what it described as particularly severe violations of religious freedom.&nbsp; The report, released in March 2026, said conditions in India &ldquo;continued to deteriorate&rdquo; in 2025 as the government introduced and enforced legislation targeting minority communities and their places of worship. According to the report, several Indian states moved to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws, including tougher prison terms.&nbsp; It said Uttarakhand increased jail terms for what it called illegal conversions, Rajasthan adopted legislation allowing life imprisonment in some cases, and other states announced plans for stricter measures.&nbsp; The report also noted that India&rsquo;s Supreme Court sought responses from nine states facing legal challenges over such laws. The commission further said Indian authorities facilitated the detention and expulsion of citizens and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against minorities.&nbsp; It cited communal violence in Maharashtra, attacks on Christian families in Odisha, and heightened anti-Muslim sentiment after the April 2025 Kashmir incident.&nbsp; In its broader overview, the report also referred to India&rsquo;s expulsion of hundreds of Muslim citizens and dozens of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh. The commission&rsquo;s India chapter appears in its 2026 annual report among the countries it recommends for designation as countries of particular concern.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom says India’s religious freedom conditions worsened in 2025, citing anti-conversion laws, attacks on minorities; recommends designation as a country of concern.

US watchdog criticizes India over minority rights

ISLAMABAD: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly criticized a petition before the Supreme Court of India seeking to invalidate Islamic inheritance law, describing the move as &ldquo;mischievous&rdquo; and warning it threatens constitutionally protected religious freedoms.&nbsp;The petition, reportedly filed by the Naya Nari Foundation, challenges the application of Shariat-based inheritance rules among Muslims in India, arguing that the provisions discriminate against Muslim women.&nbsp;In a statement to the media, AIMPLB spokesperson S. Q. R. Ilyas rejected the claim and said the plea was based on misleading assumptions about Islamic law.&nbsp;&ldquo;The petition is mischievous and presents Islamic inheritance law in a distorted manner,&rdquo; Ilyas said, adding that it ignored constitutional protections guaranteed to religious communities.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2032348625565778055&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=7d0fa49dd67c9941107d432a928e8889b5009988&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The Board argued that the challenge contradicts Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees citizens the freedom to profess, practise and propagate their religion.&nbsp;According to the AIMPLB, Islamic personal law forms part of that protected religious sphere and cannot be set aside through litigation.&nbsp;Ilyas also pointed to the landmark Narasu Appa Mali case decided by the Bombay High Court, which held that personal laws are not subject to constitutional scrutiny in the same way as statutory legislation.&nbsp;&ldquo;That judgment makes it clear that personal laws cannot be treated as ordinary statutory provisions open to constitutional challenge,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Responding to claims that Islamic inheritance rules are not an essential religious practice, the Board said Muslim family laws derive directly from the Quran and Sunnah, making them binding within the religious framework.<iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2031701672641311119&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=7d0fa49dd67c9941107d432a928e8889b5009988&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 641px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><div class="fr-embed"> </div>&ldquo;These laws are rooted in the Quran and Sunnah and therefore form an integral part of Islamic life,&rdquo; Ilyas said.&nbsp;Addressing allegations of gender discrimination, the AIMPLB said Islamic law grants men and women equal dignity while assigning them different financial responsibilities.&nbsp;&ldquo;Men are obligated to provide maintenance and bear household expenses, while women are under no financial obligation and may independently retain and use their own income,&rdquo; Ilyas said.&nbsp;The Board also rejected suggestions that the issue could be resolved through the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code, noting that Article 44 of the constitution is only a directive principle and cannot override fundamental rights.&nbsp;&ldquo;Article 44 cannot be imposed on Muslims in a way that violates their fundamental right to practise religion,&rdquo; Ilyas said, urging the court to dismiss the petition.&nbsp;During the hearing, however, the Supreme Court observed that a Uniform Civil Code could potentially address concerns raised in the petition.&nbsp;The bench also questioned whether striking down Shariat inheritance provisions might create a legal vacuum in the absence of an alternative statutory framework governing Muslim inheritance.&nbsp;The case has reignited debate over religious autonomy and minority rights in India, where critics say legal and political pressure on Muslim personal laws has intensified in recent years.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board opposes a Supreme Court petition challenging Islamic inheritance law, warning it threatens religious freedom, while judges suggest a Uniform Civil Code and question whether scrapping Shariat rules would create legal uncertainty.

Indian Muslim board denounces Supreme Court challenge to Shariat inheritance

ISLAMABAD: A UN watchdog on racial discrimination has renewed scrutiny of India&rsquo;s treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims in the Indian state of Assam, a long-running controversy rooted in citizenship verification and identity politics in India&rsquo;s northeast.&nbsp;The dispute centres on Assam&rsquo;s National Register of Citizens process, which&nbsp;has disproportionately targeted Bengali-speaking Muslims, leaving many at risk of exclusion, statelessness, or prolonged legal uncertainty.&nbsp;The Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Michal Balcerzak, in a Jan. 19 letter addressed to India&rsquo;s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, said CERD was following up on its earlier communication of May 12, 2025, on the same issue.&nbsp;According to the letter, CERD acknowledged India&rsquo;s response and noted India&rsquo;s position on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, including the claim that the framework does not deprive eligible foreigners of the right to apply for citizenship through registration or naturalization.&nbsp;However, CERD said it regrets a lack of information on key allegations previously raised. These include claims of racial discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims during the NRC update and exclusion from the final list due to procedural irregularities, difficulty obtaining required documents, and stricter verification standards applied to people classified as &ldquo;non-original inhabitants,&rdquo; a term the committee said lacks a clear definition.&nbsp;The committee also cited allegations of systematic forced evictions without adequate housing or compensation, along with reports of rising hate speech and incitement to violence, and allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement, causing recurrent killings and injuries, plus violent attacks by civilians or organized groups in mid-2024.&nbsp;CERD called on India to take &ldquo;all necessary measures&rdquo; to protect the community&rsquo;s rights and asked India to provide detailed information during its upcoming periodic reporting, including steps to prevent discriminatory nationality deprivation, halt forced evictions, combat hate speech online and offline, and investigate alleged lethal use of force.

A UN anti-racism committee told India its reply was incomplete, seeking details on alleged discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, including NRC exclusion, evictions, hate speech, and excessive force.

UN watchdog questions India on discrimination of Bengali Muslims in Assam

ISLAMABAD: Kashmir&rsquo;s press corps is warning that routine reporting is being suppressed through a new cycle of police summons and &ldquo;good behavior&rdquo; bonds in Srinagar, in what journalists describe as an attempt to control the narrative rather than answer questions. At least four reporters working for major national publications have been summoned by police in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu &amp; Kashmir&nbsp;in recent days. According to online news outlet Scroll, the most detailed account involves senior Indian Express journalist Bashaarat Masood, who was made to report to the Cyber Police Station on four separate days and was asked to sign a bond promising he would not &ldquo;disturb peace,&rdquo; according to Scroll.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2013609422506074370&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3673%2F&sessionId=3b47bd4b4e929eda4be7a391aacab61c410b9ee5&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2013609422506074370"></iframe></div></div> The action was initiated without a formal police report and invoked Section 126 of India&rsquo;s Criminal Procedure Code, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, a preventive provision used to seek bonds from those deemed &ldquo;likely&rdquo; to breach peace.&nbsp; Masood said that when he refused, an officer warned that he could be sent to Srinagar central jail. The Indian Express reported that he was arbitrarily detained for over 15 hours over four days. The immediate trigger appears linked to reporting on a controversial administration exercise to profile mosques and imams.&nbsp; The Hindustan Times reported that the Jammu &amp; Kashmir police issued verbal summons to journalists, including its Srinagar correspondent, over a report on profiling mosques and imams after the Nov. 10 Red Fort blast, and said it sought a written summons stating reasons.&nbsp; The pressure is drawing political condemnation.&nbsp; Summoning reporters and asking them to sign bonds is a &ldquo;new low,&rdquo; multiple Kashmiri leaders said, according to The Times of India.&nbsp; Senior Indian journalist Ruhi Tiwari called it &quot;a serious insult to free speech.&quot; The pattern seems to be broader than this week&rsquo;s cases. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014079780761559523&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3673%2F&sessionId=3b47bd4b4e929eda4be7a391aacab61c410b9ee5&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2014079780761559523"></iframe></div></div> Indian digital media platform Newslaundry reported that six journalists were summoned this month, and said the Kashmir Press Club linked the summons to mosque-profiling coverage, describing it as &ldquo;intimidation&rdquo; and alleging journalists were told to stop covering the issue on instructions from higher authorities.

Police summons and 'good behaviour' bonds are being used to suppress journalism in Srinagar. Multiple reporters have been questioned over mosque-profiling stories, allegedly without police reports, sparking political condemnation and press freedom concerns.

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