Faizan Mustafa

Expert Explains: A brief history of religion-based reservations in India; the question of Muslims’ inclusionSubscriber Only

May 07,2024 08:28:04 AM

Can a secular country like India have religion-based reservation? Have Muslims ever been given reservation by reducing the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), or Other Backward Classes (OBCs)?

No Indian has the right to marrySubscriber Only

October 19,2023 18:48:04 PM

That is the logical extension of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the same-sex marriage case

Will reservation really help Indian women?Subscriber Only

September 20,2023 16:39:46 PM

Representation is a goal in itself. But reservation may not address the inequalities and discrimination that pervade society

There’s a lot more to Sanatan Dharma than casteSubscriber Only

September 18,2023 19:04:37 PM

Hinduism, just like some of its Abrahamic counterparts in India, has its share of unnerving complexities of discrimination and injustices. The response to these should not be moral indignation against the entirety of these religions

Faizan Mustafa writes: RSS chief’s support for caste-based reservations is neither surprising, nor suddenSubscriber Only

September 09,2023 11:50:22 AM

While there has been some difference of opinion within the RSS regarding caste-based reservation policy, BJP governments at the Centre and in states have been trying to expand its ambit to cover newer and politically dominant groups

Faizan Mustafa writes: New penal code falls short of its laudable objectivesSubscriber Only

August 12,2023 14:54:38 PM

Definitions of many crimes remain vague and some much-needed improvements, such as criminalisation of marital rape, remain unaddressed

Faizan Mustafa writes: The message from Mohan Bhagwat’s words on unitySubscriber Only

June 03,2023 13:25:33 PM

It is important to realise that India's diversity does not divide its people – it is part of what keeps them together

Faizan Mustafa writes: Is the Delhi ordinance a brazen overruling of the Supreme Court verdict?Subscriber Only

May 21,2023 14:20:24 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: To undo a judgment, Parliament has to remove its 'very basis' in law. The Centre has tried to fulfil the technical requirements for this in the ordinance that takes away power from Delhi's elected government

Faizan Mustafa writes: Supreme Court’s Delhi verdict carries promise of a constitutional renaissanceSubscriber Only

May 12,2023 12:12:31 PM

In a veiled reference to proponents of over-centralisation who believe that “one nation, one government” will make India strong, Justice Chandrachud observed that “recognising regional aspirations strengthens the unity of the country and embodies the spirit of democracy”

Faizan Mustafa writes: Extra-judicial divorces are a better option – Muslim law points the waySubscriber Only

May 02,2023 13:30:01 PM

There should be no insistence on granting of divorce only through family courts as it puts an unnecessary burden on women. Ideally, matrimonial disputes should be resolved through arbitration and mediation

Faizan Mustafa writes: Nirmala Sitharaman is right and wrong — minorities are better off in India than in Pakistan, but that’s not enoughSubscriber Only

April 12,2023 16:13:08 PM

High fertility rates are indicative of educational, social and economic backwardness. But with literacy rates increasing among Muslims, there is a steep decline in the fertility rates of Muslims

Faizan Mustafa writes: Instead of criminalising child marriage, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma should heed PM Modi’s call of Beti Bachao Beti PadhaoSubscriber Only

February 06,2023 16:43:36 PM

The Assam government should use a mass campaign to educate parents, rather than a coercive criminal law, to deal with the problem of child marriages.

In saying that Hindu society has been at war for 1,000 years, the RSS chief seems to be contradicting his earlier statements about MuslimsSubscriber Only

January 29,2023 12:17:28 PM

Rulers fight wars, not religions or society

Collegium vs Centre: On elevation of a gay judge, constitutional morality vs majoritarian moralitySubscriber Only

January 20,2023 19:18:50 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: On the recommendation of Saurabh Kirpal by Collegium, government argued that his sexuality could make him biased. Are we to assume heterosexual judges cannot be biased and prejudiced?

Tamil Nadu Governor vs Stalin government: Does the governor have the right to delete portions of his address to the legislative assembly?Subscriber Only

January 10,2023 18:38:29 PM

Convention deems that the governor must not edit the address sent by the government. The Tamil Nadu incident is a pointer to the growing distrust between the office of the governor and chief ministers of Opposition-led governments.

In banning women from universities, the Taliban is being un-IslamicSubscriber Only

December 26,2022 12:58:15 PM

The Taliban is undoing the Islamic revolution of enlightenment and pushing Afghanistan back into a period of ignorance.

Supreme Court concern on religious conversion: Where is the hard data on cases filed under anti-conversion laws, convictions by courts?Subscriber Only

November 16,2022 17:14:44 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: Anti-conversion laws are framed on the dated premise that women, SCs and STs need protection, cannot take vital decisions on their own. They perpetuate social hierarchies of a casteist and patriarchal society.

EWS verdict underscores that judiciary has been a reluctant supporter of caste-based reservationSubscriber Only

November 07,2022 23:40:48 PM

While the majority judges have raised questions about the desirability of continuing the reservation policy, they themselves have upheld the extension of reservation to a new group. Only time will tell if this is the beginning of the end of affirmative action

Faizan Mustafa writes | Kiren Rijiju on Supreme Court Collegium: Constitution has the solution to judicial appointmentsSubscriber Only

November 06,2022 18:40:08 PM

Wisdom cannot be the monopoly of a few chosen ones in the apex court. Neither the existing collegium system nor the NJAC gave any role to the high court judges in the appointment of Supreme Court judges. This omission is a violation of an express provision of the Constitution.

Arif Mohammad Khan is overreaching in his role as governorSubscriber Only

November 02,2022 04:00:16 AM

In seeking resignation of Kerala minister, governor Arif Mohammad Khan has exceeded his remit. Real powers in a parliamentary democracy vest in the elected government, governor has to be a nominal head.

Let the RSS chief and Muslims search for the middle groundSubscriber Only

September 29,2022 19:41:37 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: One meeting between Mohan Bhagwat and prominent Muslims cannot resolve issues that plague the two communities. But in an age of majoritarianism, the RSS chief is one person who can initiate and lead Hindutva’s perestroika

Faizan Mustafa writes | Gyanvapi order: The law cannot resolve vexed religious issuesSubscriber Only

September 12,2022 19:38:42 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: Our obsession with the law as a solution to problems -- particularly religious and social problems -- is the real problem. In the context of both Kashi and Mathura, many Muslims and liberals relied too greatly on the Places of Worship Act

Faizan Mustafa writes: Let Ganpati come to Idgah maidan, helped by MuslimsSubscriber Only

August 31,2022 17:39:12 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: A Muslim initiative to permit pooja at the maidan in Bengaluru would have been a fitting reply to those who want to take political advantage of people’s religious sentiments. Inter-religious disputes are best resolved by the faith communities themselves.

Muslims and Judiciary: We do not have Muslim or non-Muslim judges in IndiaSubscriber Only

July 04,2022 19:23:26 PM

Faizan Mustafa writes: Judges have been not only fair but also sensitive to Muslim causes. Muslim women in particular have had more success before judiciary than Hindu women

It won’t be easy to bring Moscow to book over the Ukraine invasionSubscriber Only

April 18,2022 03:35:38 AM

Faizan Mustafa, Utkarsh Leo write: Loopholes in international law will make it difficult to hold Russia accountable. Diplomacy and sanctions appear the better bet.