Pilgrims commission calls on Christians Muslims to unite

With Israel having closed its borders to most foreigners, Bethlehem's residents are getting ready for a muted holiday season.

A surge in attacks on Christians in India is part of a much broader malaise, experts say. "The objective is clear: to isolate and demonize minorities so that a Hindu state is established," a political scientist told DW.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees have congregated on the banks of the Ganges to mark Makar Sankranti, amid soaring COVID-19 infections.

The fate of Muslims, women and the media are just three of the issues under the spotlight in India's regional elections. The state of Uttar Pradesh perhaps best sums up what's at stake. It has been ruled by PM Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP for the past five years but today, there's increasing concern for the rights of Muslims in particular. Our guests discuss what's at stake in these elections.

In India, new laws cracking down on religious conversion are emboldening right-wing Hindu groups to carry out attacks on Christian churches. Critics say the groups abuse the laws to push their own agenda, without facing any consequences themselves.

Chechen warlord and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov boasted of his soldiers' part in Russia's war in Ukraine. But many Chechen and Tatar Muslims are defending Ukraine and settling scores with the rulers of their homelands.

Years of persecution have forced dozens of Chinese Christians to flee China in pursuit of refuge abroad. However, some of them say that threats from Beijing continue even though they're no longer in China.

The Great Mosque of Paris or Paris Central Mosque is the most visited mosque in France. Its construction began in 1922, with the aim of thanking Muslim soldiers who fought for France in World War I. Back then, the state financed the building of the edifice.

Since the start of the war, tens of thousands of Muslims have either picked up arms or assisted in the war efforts in other ways. While most of these Muslims are of course Ukrainian, many are from Caucasus, and Chechnya in particular.

Since the start of the war, tens of thousands of Muslims have either picked up arms or assisted in the war efforts in other ways. While most of these Muslims are of course Ukrainian, many are from Caucasus, and Chechnya in particular.

India's government is rejecting claims that Muslims face discrimination and violence in the country. However, many members of the community disagree.

Large parts of the Muslim world will mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan at sunset on Friday. Some countries with a predominantly Shiite Muslim population will celebrate on Saturday.