Muslim scholars union calls for forming legal front to defend Muslim minorities

Ali al-Qaradaghi's call comes amid new wave of violence against Muslims in India

DOHA:

The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) on Saturday called for the formation of a global legal front to defend the rights of Muslim minorities around the world.

In a Twitter post, IUMS Secretary-General Ali al-Qaradaghi questioned the impassivity of the Indian police as Hindu militants target Muslims in the country.

"Hindu militants are burning 12 mosques in a week, a new wave of violence against Muslims in India, why is the police silent?" the scholar tweeted.

He said there is a need for "the formation of a global legal front to defend the rights of Muslim minorities around the world."

Read more: Dozens detained in India for disrupting Muslim prayers

On Friday, Indian media quoted local officials as saying that the authorities arrested dozens of people, most of whom belong to extremist right-wing groups after they obstructed Muslims from performing their weekly Friday prayers.

Media reports said that police bolstered their presence on Friday in the northern city of Gurgaon and arrested at least 30 people as crowds of local residents and Hindu groups chanted anti-Muslim slogans.

For weeks, Hindu groups have been pressuring the Indian authorities to prevent Muslims from performing the Friday prayers in open spaces. The groups have also been committing acts of violence against Muslims and mosques in the country.

Also read: OIC lashes out at India over rising wave of Islamophobia, hate crimes against Muslims

Violence against Muslims and other minority communities has become increasingly frequent in India since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.

Members of opposition accused the BJP of persecuting minorities, including Muslims whose population in India numbers around 200 million.

The government repeatedly rejects the accusation that it has a Hindu agenda and insists that Indians of all faiths have equal rights.