Nepal shares its borders with India and China, and under the influence of these countries has for years been applying a repressive policy toward Muslims. More than a million Muslims live in the country, 80% of whose population are Hindu and 10% Buddhist.
Nepal used to be officially Hindu and was a monarchy until 2008. In that year the monarchy came to an end and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was founded. Until 2008, Nepalese Muslims had no rights at all, and their religious identities were denied by the Nepalese monarchy. But as soon as the new administration came to power it announced it would treat Muslims with understanding and even fulfill certain of their demands. Yet fanatical Hindus were uneasy at this democratic approach of the new government and the official adoption of laicism, and stepped up their acts of violence against Muslims and carried out a string of fascist attacks. These racist fascists opened their attacks with the mosques; in March 2008 they hurled four bombs at a mosque in Biratnagar in which more than 50 Muslims were praying, thus causing the martyrdom of three Muslims and dozens more to be injured. In the time that followed, many mosques in the towns of Biratnagar and Bukraha, which have substantial Muslim populations, were attacked by radical, racist Hindu organizations. In 2004, these racist groups set fire to houses, workplaces, associations and mosques belonging to Muslims.
The oppression of Nepalese Muslims by these fascist organizations is still going on. Nepalese Muslims are constantly being harassed by racist Hindus and are engaged in a major struggle to preserve their religion and are trying to survive as Muslims despite all the pressure on them. In particular, Nepalese people who have converted to Islam from Hinduism are subjected to intense pressure from both their families and society as a whole.
Three out of more than 50 Nepalese Muslims who were praying in the Choti mosque in Biratnagar when it was attacked in 2008 by racist Hindus during the time of the evening prayer were martyred, and dozens more injured.
Muslims in Nepal must unite without delay and call on the whole Muslim world to be unified.
Muslims in Nepal are still living as different communities and have no representative on religious matters. There is no doubt that what Nepalese Muslims, who believe they are not fairly represented in Parliament and who wish to enjoy rights under the new Constitution and enjoy its protection, need to do is to establish a powerful unity among themselves without further delay. Allah has made this an obligation for all Muslims:
Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not separate. Remember Allah’s blessing to you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by His blessing. You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire and He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided. (Surah Al ’Imran, 103)
On the other hand, our Nepalese Muslim brothers must fervently pray for all Muslims in the world to be united as soon as possible and must encourage this unification of the Muslim world as a matter of the greatest urgency.
Muslims’ most urgent duty is to establish the Turkish-Islamic Union in order for the sufferings in the world to end
The Nepalese have recently been living in disorder brought about by fanatical Hindus who want the return of the monarchy and Nepal to be a Hindu country once again, and who are inciting people along those lines. This is of course a matter of close concern for Nepalese Muslims who want the country to attain democracy right away and thus to see their legitimate rights restored to them. We hope that the country will make steady progress toward democracy and that our Muslim brothers will attain a climate of well-being in which they can freely live by their faith.
However, it must not be forgotten that it is a clear and urgent fact that the only solution for the liberation of all Muslims who are oppressed is for the Islamic world to come together under a single roof. Muslim unification is the only answer to terror, disorder and restlessness. Such unity will certainly bring peace, brotherhood, friendship and solidarity to both the Islamic world and to all the countries of the world. In order for the climate of brutality, violence and fear to which Muslims are subjected in dozens of countries to come to an end, it is essential that Muslims be united and establish the Turkish-Islamic Union. Muslims everywhere in the world must see this and do all they can to bring it about. Otherwise, the Muslims of the world will assume a heavy spiritual responsibility with every passing day, and will assume a heavy burden in the Sight of Allah.
Nepalese Muslims who want to be free to live by their faith and achieve a climate in which they can raise future generations in peace and security...