The Supreme Court outlawed the practice last year, but Modi's government wants to make it a non-bailable offence carrying a jail term of up to three years.

Interior Ministry figures show that at least 950 attacks occurred in Germany on Muslims and Islamic institutions last year, the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung reported Saturday.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs called for the performance of Istisqa prayer at the state's mosques on Thursday the 20th of Safar 1439, AH corresponding to November 9, 2017 at 06.01 am.

The 11 men will instead face life in jail for causing the fire that killed 59 Hindu passengers and set off some of the worst religious violence to hit India since independence.

Critics say that extremists emboldened by the current Hindu nationalist government's tough stance on cow slaughter are using beef as a pretext to target the community.

More than two million people are expected to participate in this year's Haj, a pillar of Islam that capable Muslims must perform at least once in their lives, which starts next week.

Venkaiah Naidu, a long-time member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been sworn in as the country's 13th vice president.

Muslim religious leaders in Jerusalem told worshippers on Thursday that they can once again enter the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Muslims boycotted a Jerusalem holy site for the third day running on Tuesday after Israeli authorities installed metal detectors and cameras at entrances to the sensitive compound following an attack that killed two policemen.

The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday upheld a Belgian ban on wearing the full-face niqab veil in public.

India's top court on Tuesday stayed a nationwide ban imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on the sale of cattle for slaughter that had provoked outcry in many states.

Indian police have arrested 15 Muslims and filed sedition charges against them for allegedly celebrating Pakistan's victory against India in cricket's Champions Trophy final.