Tired to hear the same old (wrong) argument from someone (European) I know - Muslim people have many children, as propagated by their religion, Britain and France are going to be Muslim majority soon, as backed up by that one example of someone Muslim they know, with 5 children.

It's a common trope, very harmfully prevalent in India, and as I see now, in Europe too. I'm trying to circulate this article from a couple of years ago, trying to inject some sense and nuance. Let's see to what extent said person's views can be changed. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/11/muslim-overpopulation-myth/545318/

I've seen and heard common people, friends and family, as well as senior political leaders in India, say that Muslims in particular, and Indians in general, have a population problem, and they suggest solutions from forced sterilisation to 'population control laws', to worse.

The truth is **every** community in India, is reducing their fertility rate. There's a tried and tested way to do it - access to reproductive healthcare, education, poverty alleviation, equality in the workplace. Not 'population control laws' which are draconian to me, or worse.

Another point is the state difference. States with earlier interventions in reproductive healthcare (Kerala, Bengal) have fared better. Both states have >27% Muslims. Even states with the worst fertility rates (UP, Bihar), incidentally with lesser % of Muslims, are improving.

The starkest example against the 'Muslim overpopulation' myth is that Jammu and Kashmir, once India's only Muslim majority state, but demoted to a Union Terrirtory since 2019, has the lowest fertility rate in India.