In a first, Islamic seminary 'Darul Uloom Deoband' issues fatwa against sex-selective abortions

Lucknow: Islamic seminary, the Darul Uloom of Deoband, has issued a decree restricting selective abortion of female foetuses, said reports on Wednesday.

Calling the ''act unlawful and against Islam'', Deoband spokesperson Maulana Ashraf Usmani said, "It's a first fatwa against sex-selective abortions.''

''The act is against Islam and there is no grace in the eye of Allah for those doing it," said Usmani.

The seminary took into account individual queries and media reports on skewed sex ratio among Muslims before issuing the decree.

As per the government figures, the number of girls up to six years old per 1,000 boys in the same age group among Indian Muslims declined from 950 in 2001 to 943 in 2011.

"We appeal to Muslims to refrain from any act which discriminates the girl child. Our vice-chancellor has termed sex-selective abortions cold-blooded murders," said Usmani.