Nepal’s Muslims to rally for official recognition

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

Associated Press

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KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) – Nepal’s minority Muslims threatened Fridayto shut down the capital with protests and a general strike todemand official recognition as an ethnic group separate from theirneighbors in the southern Madesh region.

The United Muslim National Struggle Committee said they want thegovernment to officially recognize Muslims as an ethnic group in thenew constitution, which is being drafted for completion by May 2010.

If Muslims are recognized, they will have better representationin parliament and could benefit from government-approved job quotasin the civil service, police force and military, committeecoordinator Tej Mohammed Miya said.

The government must also organize a census to better determinethe number of Muslims in Nepal, Miya said, adding they make up about10 percent of the population. Official data indicates only 4.3percent of the country’s 27 million people are Muslim.

Miya said the committee would stage rallies on Friday and wouldshut down Katmandu next week.

The government recently categorized Nepal’s Muslims as a part ofthe Madeshi ethnic group, because they largely live in the southernMadesh region that borders India.

The government did not immediately comment, but it has formed acommittee under the Peace Ministry to negotiate with all the ethnicgroups with demands.