Religious division in India has increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. Muslims are being attacked openly and forced to chant Jai Sheri Ram (Hindu religious slogan). Sometimes, they are beaten and attacked in the name of cow slaughter, Love Jihad, economic Jihad, and religious conversion.
The year 2021 has ended with the hate speeches by the Hindu Monks at Haridwar, calling for genocide against Muslims. The year 2022 started with the ban on hijab in government schools in Karnataka where Muslim girls students were denied entry into classes because the girls were wearing hijab. Later the hijab matter reached in Karnataka High Court, where the court gave a ruling in the favor of gov’t.
But the tensions have risen in the last few weeks, especially when some Hindu groups in Varanasi went to a local court to seek permission to worship at the centuries-old mosque (Gyanvapi Mosque). Hindus claim that this mosque is built in the place of a Hindu temple. Provocative debates have been seen on TV channels and a lot of hatred on social media over the Gyanvapi mosque.
On May 27, during a live TV debate BJP’s national spokesperson Nupur Sharma have made blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and 2nd leader Naveen Jindal who is the media head of the party’s Delhi unit, posted a tweet about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which later he deleted, aimed escalating tensions. Protests have broken out in parts of India. Meanwhile, 15 Islamic countries like Pakistan, Saudi, Arabia, UAE, Afghanistan, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Indonesia, and many others including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have also condemned the derogatory remarks by the BJP spokesperson and demanded action from India.
An online campaign has started in Gulf countries to boycott Indian products after the Muslim sentiment was hurt by the ruling BJP leaders. Saudi Arabia has described BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma’s comments “as insulting and calls for respect for beliefs and religion”.
The Indian gov’t was not expecting such harsh criticism and condemnation from the Gulf and other Islamic countries. While Muslim countries summoned Indian ambassadors to their respective countries to lodge a strong protests and asked for action against Nurpur Sharma and Naveen Jindal. Although BJP has suspended both leaders now BJP is distancing itself from such provocative remarks and calling them “fringe elements”. Now BJP is just trying to repair the damage control after the Indian gov’t faced unprecedented and strong reaction from the Muslim countries.
India is the largest importer of oil from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and 3rd largest trading partner with the UAE, while Saudi Arabia is 4th trading partner with India. Both UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing billions of dollars in India. On the other side, around three million Indians are working in Gulf countries and sending remittances to India. So India cannot afford backlash from these countries.
In India, religious hatred and intolerance against Muslims are increasing day by day and this thing has reached a dangerous level. It is an end to religious hatred. It’s all done on the behest of the state and the fascist Hindutva ideology led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by the ruling elite see for the first time in the South Asian region. India and the world must know that Muslims can bear anything but cannot bear the insult of beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) because Muslims are because of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Every day is becoming worse in India against minorities, especially Muslims. It shows the reality of the so-called secular cover of India, where only Hinduism is considered the Holy religion and Islam is considered the lower religion. India considered itself the world’s largest democracy but there is no freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom of basic fundamental rights. Everything is out of reach, particularly for Muslims.
The fear is that the rising anti-Muslim sentiments and Islamophobia in India could lead to a dangerous situation, where the Muslim minority community could be persecuted and displaced under the shadow of the government. This Friday protests happened again across India against the Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal’s blasphemous remarks. The angary Protesters were demanding the immediate arrest of both BJP leaders.
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian film actor who said “there is no acknowledgment of the hurt caused to millions of believers, the lady (Nupur Sharma) is not “fringe element”, she is a national spokesman, so it’s not possible the word she said, not approved from the top”.
All religion in the World teaches peace and respect for others, but now Islamophobia has become a norm everywhere especially in India to suppress the Muslim voices.
In the past PM Modi has expressed provocative remarks in most of his speeches and such remarks from PM Modi not only motivate his voters and workers but also instigate violence.
Now It’s PM Modi who can overcome this rising hatred and religious intolerance against Muslims otherwise it will not stop here. If this does not stop then it will be devastating for India, where India’s survival will be at risk. It’s the right time for Arab countries that awarded PM Modi with their highest civil awards should revisit their relations with India and study the literature of RSS which is totally against Muslims. OIC and Arab League should also take a tough stance against Indian policies toward Muslims.
