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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 26 November 2020
Indian state outlaws religious conversion by marriage

By SHEIKH SAALIQ ever, rejected the "love
Associated Press jihad" theory, which many
NEW DELHI (AP) — India's see as part of an anti-Mus-
ruling Hindu nationalist lim agenda by Modi's party.
party has approved legis- On Tuesday, a court in Ut-
lation in the country's most tar Pradesh heard a case
populous state that lays of interfaith marriage and
out a prison term of up to said that "interference in a
10 years for anyone found personal relationship would
guilty of using marriage to constitute a serious en-
force someone to change croachment into the right
religion. to freedom of choice of
The decree for the state of the two individuals."
Uttar Pradesh was passed The court's ruling came af-
Tuesday and follows a ter a Muslim man was ac-
campaign by Prime Min- cused of forcibly convert-
ister Narendra Modi's Hin- ing his Hindu partner.
du-nationalist Bharatiya India is a predominantly
Janata Party against inter- Hindu country, with Mus-
faith marriages. The party lims making up about 14%
describes such marriages of its more than 1.3 billion
as "love jihad," an unprov- people. Hindu hard-line
en conspiracy theory used groups also oppose con-
by its leaders and Hindu In this March 28, 2019, file photo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, speaks with Chief versions to Christianity and
hard-line groups to accuse Minister of Uttar Pradesh state Yogi Adityanath during an election campaign rally in Meerut, India. have vowed to continue
Muslim men of converting Associated Press trying to prevent interfaith
Hindu women by marriage. relationships.
Under the decree — which minister Siddharth Nath versions. over the country by per- Critics of Modi — an
will become a law after Singh said prison terms of Earlier, the state's top elect- suading Hindu women to avowed Hindu national-
its approval by the state's up to 10 years would stop ed leader, Yogi Adityna- marry them and convert to ist — say India's tradition of
governor, a formality — a unlawful conversions and tah, a Hindu monk, said Islam. diversity and secularism has
couple belonging to two provide justice to women. at a public meeting that Although India's constitu- come under attack since
different religions will have Uttar Pradesh is the third In- those waging "love jihad" tion is secular and provides his party won power in 2014
to give two months' notice dian state ruled by Modi's should either refrain from it protection to all faiths, the and returned for a second
to a district magistrate be- party after Haryana and or be prepared to die. issue of "love jihad" has term in 2019.
fore getting married. The Madhya Pradesh to ap- Amid a rising tide of Hindu gripped headlines and pit- They accuse the party of
couple will be allowed to prove such legislation to nationalism in India un- ted Modi's party leaders fanning religious passions
marry only if the official check what Hindu nation- der Modi, Hindu hard-line against secular activists. and presiding over religious
finds no objections. alist leaders call forced groups have long accused India's investigating agen- intolerance and sometimes
Uttar Pradesh government and unlawful religious con- minority Muslims of taking cies and courts have, how- even violence.q

Court overturns ruling that Germany must press U.S. on drones

with international law. here is a secret assassi- ficient.
The ruling restores a lower nation program that kills Judges noted that the Ger-
court decision in 2015 that scores of civilians each man government had tak-
concluded the German year," Gibson said. "It is sim- en some steps to address
had fulfilled its legal duties ply unsustainable, and de- the issue in its communica-
and was within its rights to spite today's ruling, clearly tions by seeking assurances
balance them with "foreign unlawful." from Washington, thereby
and defense policy inter- Granting the German gov- proving that Berlin had
ests." ernment's appeal against made an effort to ensure
The case was brought by last year's verdict, judges the plaintiffs' rights were
human rights groups on in Leipzig said that Berlin protected.
behalf of three Yemeni could only be compelled Andreas Schueller, a law-
plaintiffs who allege their to take further action if yer with the European Cen-
relatives were killed in a U.S. "due to the number and cir- ter for Constitutional and
In this July 30, 2014 file photo US and German flags fly outside drone strike in 2012. They cumstances of the breach- Human Rights who argued
the Ramstein Air Base, Germany. alleged that the U.S. air es of international law that the case for the Yemeni
Associated Press base in Ramstein, southern have already taken place plaintiffs, said his clients
Germany, plays a key role there must be a concrete were considering an ap-
By FRANK JORDANS with international law. in the relay of flight control expectation further actions peal before Germany's
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's The decision Wednesday data used for armed drone that are illegal under inter- highest court.
top administrative court by the Federal Administra- strikes in Yemen. national law will also occur "A state that makes its ter-
has ruled the country's gov- tive Court in Leipzig over- Jennifer Gibson of the hu- in future." ritory available for military
ernment can't be forced turns a ruling last year that man rights group Reprieve They also concluded that operations must enforce in-
to ensure that U.S. drone held the German govern- said the plaintiffs would there was no direct link to ternational law and human
strikes controlled via an ment partly responsible continue to campaign Germany in the case, citing rights more strongly than
American military base on for making sure that such against the drone strikes. the provision of technical the German government
German territory are in line military operations comply "What we are talking about relay capabilities as insuf- does," he said.q