The Gulf region, which is home to millions of Indians, has finally woken up to the horror that Muslims are going through in the South Asian country, where a right-wing majoritarian government often shows anti-Muslim bias in its policies.
Besides, some Hindu expatriates working in the oil-rich Middle Eastern countries have also shocked their hosts with anti-Islam rhetoric.
It was only a year ago, when India‘s ultra-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bestowed state honors in some Arab countries but since last year his government has adopted a spate of extreme measures throttling the Muslims in Kashmir, and excluding Muslims from a program of citizenship.
In the latest move on Monday, Kuwait has appealed to 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to intervene in India to tackle anti-Muslim sentiment in BJP-ruled India.
In a statement released to the Arab media on Monday, the General Secretariat of the Kuwait Council of Ministers expressed its “deep concern” about the treatment of Indian Muslims.
Expressing its deep concern over the ghastly ethnic attack on Indian Muslims, Kuwait Council of ministers has appealed to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation OIC and the international community to intervene. #UNHRC #UNSC #BAN_RSS #india
❤️🇰🇼 pic.twitter.com/Mjag4MjJow— المحامي⚖مجبل الشريكة (@MJALSHRIKA) April 26, 2020
It called on the OIC to take “necessary and urgent measures” to “preserve the rights of Muslims there”.
Abdullah al-Shoreka, a minister in Kuwait’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, tweeted that it was time for Muslims to speak up against the persecution of their co-religionists.
The Council of Ministers of the State of Kuwait condemns the ethnic attacks against Muslims in India.
“Did those who commit crimes against humanity against Muslims in India and violate their rights think that Muslims in the world will remain silent about these crimes and do not move politically, legally and economically against them?” he said.
The statement follows comments last month in which Kuwait raised concerns about the treatment of Muslims in the country.
February saw riots erupting in the Indian capital Delhi that led to dozens of deaths, mostly Muslims targeted by Hindu nationalists.
The rioting came in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s passage of a controversial citizenship law, which has been accused of excluding Muslims and undermining the principle of secularism in India.
Witnesses said that Delhi police initially did little to intervene as mobs fought running battles, with groups armed with swords and guns setting fire to thousands of properties and vehicles.
Indian Muslims have also been the subject of widely spread conspiracy theories in India around the coronavirus pandemic.
Several BJP leaders in New Delhi espouse extreme views against Muslims and have blamed a mass gathering of Muslims last month in New Delhi for helping spread the virus, while members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have appeared in interviews describing the gathering as “corona terrorism”.
Fake video clips claiming to show Muslims as spitting on security officials led to the spread of a “CoronaJihad” hashtag on Twitter, despite the videos being debunked.
It is a shock for those of Arabs who were familiar with India to see a rise in animosity, Islamophobia and a regular bloodbath happening, and now a pandemic that is called the ‘Qurano-Virus’.
Anti-Muslim rhetoric especially the post-COVID 19 Islamophobia in India has also incited Arab netizens’s condemnation.
Social media users in the Arab world have in recent weeks called out Indians for what they have deemed anti-Muslim and anti-Arab comments, with a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) royal family warning that Indians working in the wealthy country would be “fined and made to leave” if they made racist and discriminatory comments.
Princess Hend Al Qassimi’s statement was made on Twitter on April 16, accompanied by a screenshot of a tweet by an Indian expatriate threatening “death to radical Islamic Tablighi terrorists” – a reference to the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, which has been blamed for the surge in Covid-19 cases in India.
In her recent article in the newspaper, Gulf News, Princess Shaikha Hind Al- Qasimi said that the world doesn’t need another Hitler.
She took exception to brazen examples of hate against Muslims, in a nation of 182 million Muslims.
A technocratic team of legal experts has been formed to tackle #Islamophobia and #Hate_speech in MSM or Social Media platforms for India and the Gulf. Human and religious rights violators will face serious consequences both locally & Internationally. #UNHRC
— المحامي⚖مجبل الشريكة (@MJALSHRIKA) April 26, 2020
“BJP [India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party] and RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] leader Rajeshwar Singh, have, in an example of intimidation and hate speech, said that “Muslims and Christians will be wiped out of India by December 31, 2021”, Shaikha said.
The world doesn’t need another Hitler, but it needs another hero like Martin Luther, Nelson Mandela, or Gandhi, she added.
“Killing your brethren doesn’t make you a hero, it makes you a dictator and murderer. A snowballing movement has been started, which has reverberated across the Arab world,” she warned.
Many people have taken note and with the start of Ramadan the Muslim hearts are deep in prayer and will not allow the sparks to burn a country down.
Actions speak louder than words. To begin with send 1000 Indians home. If Modi does not stop violence against Muslims immediately then send 2000 Indians home, next 4000 and so on until Modi acts or he is removed.
PRESENT SITUATION IN INDIA MUSLIMS ARE IN VERY DANGER ZONE. ALLAH HELP US
I appreciate you sir thank you so much
This iss exactly good step to show the indian non muslims..that we r with indian muslims and all muslims in the world..
Thanks again sir I love you so much for doing this good job realy love you sir
Thank you so much and God bless you sir
Love you….
Criminal silence of Arabs or considering it’s non Arab matter has lead to this stage that very Indians who are employed in the Gulf states are chanting anti Muslims slogans openly even it reached to the level where Indians parliamentarians started insulting Arab mothers
Hope the Bjp and the Rss group stop the cruelty against Muslim people and spread love and affection same as the Muslim countries are doing with the non Muslim people in their countries.
I am happy to read that Muslim countries in the middle east are highlighting the crime against Islam and muslims.
Middle east countries should send Hindus back to India. Keep up the pressure on Modi and its government, save Muslim lives
It is beyond comprehension of a common man why the arab and muslim leaders are in deep sleep while the BJPs’ RSS gangs are terrorizing the Muslim population in India. The rich GCC nations where there are millions of Indians working.
As brother Mohammed Shuaib Sheikh commented GCC will have to give an ultimatum and pressurize Modi and his hardline gang members by deporting the Indian Hindu workers till he bow the pressure. Is there a will and gut in the Muslim leaders os the question for now?
Looking at the author’s name and origin confirms the Pakistani agenda of demoting India. Get a life and do something productive than being jealous about a rivals progress and determination.
Why you soo blind to see the oppression committed by the far right groups (bjp and rss) on weak humans, are you another wolf in sheeps cloth? Where have you lost your humanity?
Seriously im not a Pakistani and why would they to demote India, Modi snd his baboon troop are doing a fine job of demoting India by themselves. Hindutva is sick murderous group and soon the wrath of Allah, In Shaa Allah would befall those heartless dogs even dogs and animals have compassion. But these people are disgusting, stupid and brainless pieces of shits yes shits. By the way I am from South Africa and I am not afraid to speak my mind
The Gulf States, instead of just making statements, should start deporting Indians working in the Gulf. Money talks louder than words.
India has to feel some pain, and empty rhetoric will not do it.
so is it not true that muslims are getting persecuted in india under BJP rule
It’s good that the middle East have noticed what is happening to Muslims in India. I very much hope that they will help the Muslims in India.