New Delhi, June 8, 2016: Darul Uloom Deoband, the largest Islamic seminary in India, took a strong stance against the female foeticide happening in the Muslim community and issued a fatwa against the selective abortion of female foetuses, terming it to be an act unlawful and against Islam.
This is the first fatwa against the social malpractice prevalent among the Muslim society.
The issue of female foeticide is not openly discussed but the number of Muslim girls of up to six years of age per 1,000 boys in the same age group saw slipping from 950 in 2001 to 943 in 2011.
Female foetus killings happen across the India among all religious groups, however, Muslim community was thought to be free of this malaise.
As per the provisional figures released by Census 2011, even the paradise of Kashmir is severely affected by female foetus killings.
The census showed a drop of 82 points in the child sex ratio (age group 0-6) in Jammu and Kashmir from 941 to a low of 859.
The Valley districts were the worst hit with Pulwama (from 1046 to 831), Kupwara (from 1021 to 854 ), Budgam (from 1004 to 832), Shopian (from 1011 to 883)and Kulgam (from 1003 to 882).
Female foeticide largely happens as girls are not considered equal to boys, but the tide is turning as awareness in the society is increasing due to the sustained social campaigns run by the Indian government and social groups.
