India protests continue. Is it becoming a Hindu nation?

As India protests, some worry it’s becoming a Hindu nation [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( Protests in India over a new citizenship law are spreading, and now Pakistan is weighing in. In Turkey, a 600-year-old mosque is moving to a new home as the ancient town where it once stood prepares to be flooded. And weather conditions in Australia have firefighters worried. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today India’s citizenship law sparks more unrest [Demonstrators throw pieces of bricks towards police officers during a protest against a new citizenship law in Seelampur, area of Delhi, India, on Dec. 17, 2019.]( Credit: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Tensions in India remain high as protests continued in response to the country’s controversial new citizenship law. Clashes erupted in New Delhi on Tuesday between [thousands of protesters and police](. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government says the new law will save religious minorities such as Hindus and Christians from persecution in neighboring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan by offering them a path to Indian citizenship. But the [law does not apply to Muslims](, which critics say weakens India's secular foundations. There have been growing questions about the stance of the government, led by Modi's Hindu-nationalist party, toward India's 172 million Muslims, or 14% of the population. The citizenship law follows the [revocation of the special status of the Muslim-majority Kashmir region](, and a court ruling clearing the way for the construction of a [Hindu temple on the site of a mosque]( razed by Hindu zealots. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said India's actions in Kashmir and on the citizenship law could drive Muslims from India and create a refugee crisis. "We are worried there not only could be a refugee crisis, we are worried it could [lead to a conflict between two nuclear-armed countries](," Khan told a Global Forum on Refugees in Geneva. Also: [Why are people protesting in India?]( And: [As protests rage on citizenship bill, is India becoming a Hindu nation?]( --------------------------------------------------------------- NewsMatch Do you value the global journalism you read here every morning? [Make a gift]( to support our work now, and your donation will be matched. [Donate here](. Treason: Pakistan sentences former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death A Pakistani court sentenced on Tuesday former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to [death on charges of high treason and subverting the constitution](, government officials said. Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and later ruled as president, is not in Pakistan and was not available for comment on the sentence, which was handed down by an anti-terrorism court hearing the high treason case. "Pervez Musharraf has been found [guilty of Article 6 for violation of the constitution of Pakistan](," government law officer Salman Nadeem said. The charges stem from Musharraf's [imposition of a state of emergency in 2007](, when he was facing growing opposition to his rule. Under the emergency, all civil liberties, human rights and democratic processes were suspended, from November 2007 to February 2008. He resigned later in 2008, after a political party that backed him fared poorly in a general election, and he has spent much of the time since then abroad. Also: ['We are preparing to defend ourselves,' says Pakistan's Masood Khan]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a smart speaker? Listen to The World's new show called [The Number in the News](! We produce The Number in the News daily from our studio in Boston. Host Bianca Hillier will tell you one number you won’t forget and why it’s the news today. Add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google news briefing. Ancient Turkish town faces imminent flooding from dam [Er Rizk Mosque from the 15th century is transported from the ancient town of Hasankeyf by the Tigris river, which will be significantly submerged by the Ilisu dam, to the new Hasankeyf in southeastern Turkey on Dec. 16, 2019.] Credit: Sertac Kayar/Reuters It looks like this is it for the ancient Turkish town of Hasankeyf. The [610-year-old Er-Rızk mosque was removed from the 11,000-year-old town](, where it will be displayed in a cultural park. The mosque was the last building in the old town to be moved. Archeologists believe that [Hasankeyf’s history began 11,000 years ago](, based on Neolithic remains found in the surrounding caves. (Thousands of caves remained inhabited until 1972.) Over the centuries, as the Tigris River became an important Silk Road thoroughfare, Hasankeyf passed through the hands of the Assyrian, Ayyubid and Ottoman Empires. In the second century, it served as a lookout for the eastern edge of the Roman Empire. In the 13th century, it was conquered by the Mongols. Now, about 25 miles downstream, the Ilisu Dam is complete. Soon it will flood more than 115 square miles of an agricultural valley, [submerging Hasankeyf and dozens of villages nearby](. The very river that nourished the town for centuries will swallow it whole. Also: [Who are Turkey's Saturday Mothers?]( Australian firefighters warn of uncontrollable blazes as conditions worsen Australian firefighters warn of uncontrollable blazes as conditions worsen. Firefighters in Australia warned on Tuesday they would not be able to contain some of the 100 fires still ablaze in the country before conditions are expected to deteriorate later this week. Temperatures across parts of the eastern state of New South Wales (NSW) are [expected to top 104 Fahrenheit]( on Wednesday, just shy of a record-high for Australia's most populous state. With bushland tinder-box dry, authorities warned locals near existing blazes that fires could spread. "People should be under no illusion, [we won’t contain the fires by the time the weather deteriorates later this week](," NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers told Australia's Channel 9. "People need to brace themselves in those areas for what’s potentially to come." Firefighters are battling more than 120 fires across NSW, including a 35-mile firefront northwest of Sydney, one of many that have been burning since November. [The fires have killed six people, destroyed more than 720 homes and burned nearly 3 million acres of bushland](. Also: [Australia bushfire: Boy, 12, drives pickup to flee with dog]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme You gotta love it when Mom comes home with a fresh meal — [especially if it’s a nice fish and you’re a fluffy kitten](. Extra: [In a country with violent history and violent politics, Brazil’s first all-female, Afro-Brazilian percussion group drums and dances and changes lives.]( Reuters contributed to this newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Pursuing education in a war zone]( - [Soccer star criticizes China over treatment of Uighur muslims]( - [Insecurity in the DRC hampers ebola response]( - [Turkey threatens to shutter US bases]( - [Australia's role in suffrage]( - [Chileans look to rewrite constitution]( - [US-China trade deal]( - [Disappointment at the UN climate summit]( - [Protests sweep India amid fears for secular democracy]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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