A video from Bangladesh of a man wearing a female Muslim headscarf in an apparent attempt to escape arrest has been falsely portrayed as an incident in Hindu-majority India. The statement was repeatedly shared in publications supporting the introduction of a common civil code, a goal shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modiof the Hindu nationalist party, but which some Muslims fear could interfere with their religious laws.
“The beautiful begum (Muslim woman) has a special need for a burqa,” read the video’s Hindi caption, in an apparently sarcastic reference to the man.
The video shows officers removing the scarf from the man’s head and lifting the abaya he was wearing to reveal several packages taped to his body.
“It is under these burqas that Muslims smuggle weapons”, July 25, 2024 Facebook post added. “That’s why the Uniform Civil Code became a necessity.”
India has common criminal law, but rules on personal matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance vary based on the customary traditions of different communities and religions.
Prime Minister Modi’s long-serving Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released a uniform civil code as a way of improving gender equality, as women’s rights in India vary considerably depending on which code they fall under (archived link).
But many communities, especially Muslims, fear the legislation could interfere with their religious laws and see it as an attack on their identity and against India’s secular constitution.