Leaders of the Muslim community in India are urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to resolve disputes over mosques and Hindu temples, as they feel under threat and are concerned for the protection of their places of worship. The latest controversial case involves a court allowing Hindus to pray in a 17th-century mosque after claims that it was built upon the destruction of a temple.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, stated that the accusations of historic mosques being constructed after the demolition of temples are false. He called for an end to such disputes and urged the government to preserve the secular nature of the nation, as the Muslim community feels “threatened and suffocated” in their own country. The home ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the matter.
India, with a Hindu majority and the world’s third-largest Muslim population, has been divided by the fight over claims to holy sites since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Critics accuse Modi and the BJP of promoting discrimination against Muslims, but Modi denies doing so and maintains that his government does not push a pro-Hindu agenda.
Hindu groups, including the BJP’s ideological parent, argue that several mosques in India were built over demolished Hindu temples during the Mughal empire. In 1992, a Hindu mob tore down one such mosque in the city of Ayodhya. Last month, Modi inaugurated a grand temple at the site, fulfilling a long-standing BJP pledge. The temple, reportedly built at the birthplace of God-King Ram, was established after a Supreme Court order in 2019 awarded the site to Hindus.
Maulana Syed Mahmood Madani, a leader of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a council of Muslim theologians, expressed concerns over the trend of questioning the origins of various mosques following the legal victory in Ayodhya. He called on the government and judiciary to protect Muslim interests and religious sites.
This week, a court ruled that Hindus could offer prayers at Gyanvapi, a mosque in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, after claims that it was built over a razed temple. Muslim leaders have stated their intention to challenge the order in a higher court.
(Editing by Frances Kerry)
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