Muslims | Pakistan

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday called for greater unity and brotherhood among Muslims as the country marked Eidul Fitr in “testing times”. In his post on X, PM Shehbaz wrote: “Even as we celebrate Eid with gratitude and joy, our hearts remain heavy for the people of Gaza and Kashmir, as well as our brothers and sisters affected by the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East and the region. “Today, more than ever, we need greater unity within the Ummah so that we may collectively uphold justice, dignity, and lasting peace for all. At a moment of uncertainty and instability, our greatest strength lies in unity,” he said. The premier extended his heartfelt greetings to the people of Pakistan and Muslims around the world, noting that the day “reminds us of the enduring values of compassion, unity and generosity that lie at the heart of our faith”. “On this auspicious occasion, we are also reminded of the strength and responsibility of the Muslim Ummah — bound together by s...

Muslims in several countries are celebrating Eidul Fitr for 1447 AH, marking the end of the month of Ramazan. One of Islam’s most significant holidays, Eidul Fitr is typically celebrated by feasting and gift-giving. Dawn takes a look at some of the scenes around the world as Muslims offered Eid prayers and indulged in festivities, while those in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran observed the occasion amid Israeli bombing. Muslims offer Eidul Fitr prayers, in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, on March 21, 2026. — AFP Women react as they take a selfie after attending an Eidul Fitr prayer, at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore on March 21, 2026. — Reuters A child looks on as Muslims offer Eidul Fitr prayers, in Rawalpindi on March 21, 2026. — AFP Muslim children hug each other after offering Eidul Fitr prayers, at a mosque in Karachi on March 21, 2026. — AFP Muslims offer Eidul Fitr prayers at Alamgir Mosque (R) along the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi on March 21, 2026. — AFP Muslims gather to offer prayers during a foggy morni...

Hundreds of Muslim worshippers held Eidul Fitr prayers at the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday, with Israel closing access to the Al-Aqsa mosque and other holy sites over its war on Iran. “Today, Al-Aqsa has been taken from us. It’s a sad and painful Ramazan,” Wajdi Mohammed Shweiki, a silver-haired Palestinian man in his 60s, told AFP. “It’s a catastrophic situation for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for Palestinians in general and for all Muslims across the globe.” Since Israel and the United States started the war on Iran on February 28, Israeli authorities have closed access to Jerusalem’s world-renowned holy sites over security concerns — Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians and the Western Wall for Jews. As Iranian missile barrages head towards Israel, the authorities have banned gatherings of more than 50 people nationwide to limit potential casualties. In a sign of the risks, police said this week that shrapnel fragments had fallen on the Old City. Research...

UNITED NATIONS: This year, the International Day to Combat Islamophobia did not pass unnoticed — largely due to mounting tensions in the Middle East and their ripple effects across the globe. Pakistan, which spearheaded the 2022 UN resolution establishing the observance, underscored that anti-Muslim hatred is intensifying worldwide, with political rhetoric, digital platforms, and mainstream discourse amplifying the problem. The observance comes amid heightened global instability, particularly the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which analysts say has contributed to a fresh surge in Islamophobic narratives. Reports indicate a spike in online hate speech and dehumanising rhetoric targeting Muslims, feeding a broader climate of intolerance that the UN and allied nations have increasingly called attention to. Observed annually on March 15, the International Day commemorates the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks, in which 51 worshippers were killed. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembl...

India has pushed hundreds of ethnic Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh without due process, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday, accusing the government of flouting rules and fuelling bias on religious lines. The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long taken a hardline stance on immigration — particularly from Muslim-majority Bangladesh — with top authorities referring to them as “termites” and “infiltrators”. Critics also accuse the government of sparking fear among India’s estimated 200 million Muslims, especially among speakers of Bengali, which is widely spoken in both eastern India and Bangladesh. HRW, a New York-based nonprofit, said that India forcibly expelled more than 1,500 Muslim men, women, and children to Bangladesh between May 7 and June 15, quoting Bangladeshi authorities. “India’s ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is fuelling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengali Muslims from the country, including Indian citizens,” Elaine Pearson, Asia director ...

India has deported without trial to Bangladesh hundreds of people, officials from both sides said, drawing condemnation from activists and lawyers who call the recent expulsions illegal and based on ethnic profiling. New Delhi says the people deported are undocumented migrants. The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long taken a hardline stance on immigration — particularly those from neighbouring Muslim-majority Bangladesh — with top officials referring to them as “termites” and “infiltrators”. It has also sparked fear among India’s estimated 200 million Muslims, especially among speakers of Bengali, a widely spoken language in both eastern India and Bangladesh. “Muslims, particularly from the eastern part of the country, are terrified,” said veteran Indian rights activist Harsh Mander. “You have thrown millions into this existential fear.” Bangladesh, largely encircled by land by India, has seen relations with New Delhi turn icy since a mass uprising in 2024 toppled Dhaka’s gov...

Pakistan on Saturday said India was violating its international human rights obligations by its “deliberate incitement” against Muslims in its own territory. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed countries in the wake of their recent military confrontation, sparked by New Delhi’s allegations levelled without evidence against Islamabad over a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Responding to media queries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement: “The targeting of Muslims through hate speech, discriminatory actions, and state complicity is a matter of serious concern for the international community. “At a time when restraint and reconciliation are most needed, the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes violates international human rights obligations and vitiates the prospects for communal harmony, and regional stability,” it added. Pakistan expressed “grave concern over the alarming ris...