Muslims facing discrimination in India, says activist

In an interview with the Turkish Anadolu News Agency, president of Justice For All, has pointed out challenges Indian Muslims encounter in education and employment, emphasizing the difficulties they face in their daily lives.

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Muslims in India are facing discrimination and being denied their due educational and economic rights, said Abdul Malik Mujahid, a social activist and president of Justice For All organization.

He pointed out that despite achieving high grades in education, Muslims struggle to find employment and often end up in positions that do not even require education.

Recalling a conversation with a Muslim youth who drives a rickshaw in the capital New Delhi, Mujahid underlined the struggles faced by educated Muslims who are unable to secure jobs matching their qualifications.

Despite having Master’s degrees, many Muslims cannot find jobs, and so they are working like laborers, Mujahid cited as the reason Muslims overall are behind Hindus in jobs, and in education, adding there is about a 10 to 15% gap between Muslims’ education level and Hindus’ education level.

Mujahid also drew attention to the educational challenges faced by Muslim children in India, stressing there is a bias against Muslim children which manifests in many ways. He cited an incident of discrimination against a 7-year-old Muslim child last year at a school who was beaten up and called ‘Mohammedan’, noting the teacher was also asking Hindu children to beat Muslim children.

Mujahid also pointed out the fact that in some states in India, Muslim girls wearing headscarves are prohibited from education.

According to him, the educational curriculum is being changed to erase the Muslim heritage. Mujahid referred to a new curriculum that omits information about the Muslim architect of the Taj Mahal, and textbooks containing derogatory statements about those who consume beef.

Highlighting economic discrimination, Mujahid revealed that Muslims, constituting approximately 15% of India’s population, are disproportionately underrepresented in the workforce, with only 1% having government jobs.

He disclosed that halal-certified products face boycotts, with Hindus equating the sale of such products to supporting “Islamic economic expansion” and alleged support for terrorism.