Home > OIC Condemns Coronavirus-Driven Islamophobic Campaign against Muslims in India

OIC Condemns Coronavirus-Driven Islamophobic Campaign against Muslims in India

21 Apr 2020 12:04 PM, IST


OIC Condemns Coronavirus-Driven Islamophobic Campaign against Muslims in India
Illustration against hate speech

India Tomorrow

 

NEW DELHI, APRIL 21— The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the 2nd largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, has condemned the “vicious Islamophobic campaign” against Muslims in India in the wake of the spread of Coronavirus or COVID-19.

 

The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), an expert body of OIC, on Sunday tweeted: “OIC-IPHRC condemns the unrelenting vicious Islamophobic campaign in India maligning Muslims for spread of COVID-19 as well as their negative profiling in media subjecting them to discrimination & violence with impunity.”

 

Since after the end-March tragedy at the mosque-cum-headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi, which saw hundreds of stranded people getting infected with COVID-19, there has been massive hateful debates on TV channels and malicious campaign on social media, holding Tablighi in particular and Muslims in general responsible for the spread of the contagious disease in the country. The congregation at the mosque was attended by several thousand people in the last week of March, many of them were foreigners.

 

Consequent to the hate-mongering, several incidents of physical attack on common Muslims took place in different parts of the country. Muslim individuals were denied treatment at some hospitals. Muslim vegetable sellers and vendors were assaulted.

 

The rights body of OIC has urged the Indian government to take steps to stop the hate-mongering.

 

“OIC-IPHRC urges the Indian Govt to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in India and protect the rights of its persecuted Muslim minority as per its obligations under international human rights law,” it said.

 

Besides OIC, several eminent figures in the Arab World have come to Twitter condemning hate campaign against Muslims in India.

 

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to be united and spread brotherhood when the country is fighting against Coronavirus.

 

“COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood. We are in this together,” tweeted PM’s Office.

 

The quote was from an article that PM Modi posted on Sunday on Linkedin.com.

 

“Unlike previous moments in history, when countries or societies faced off against each other, today we are together facing a common challenge. The future will be about togetherness and resilience,” he wrote in the article.

 

Chief Minister of Delhi, where the Tablighi Markaz incident took place, strongly and clearly condemned attempts to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims over Coronavirus.

 

“I feel sad that even in this difficult time, some people are trying to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims. When the whole world and our country are passing through such a critical situation, some people are creating hatred between Hindus and Muslims. They post such videos and other materials and create hatred among people. This is against the Nature. The Nature will never forgive such people,” said Kejriwal in a video message last week.

 

“Our country will progress only when all the fingers work together. Those try to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims, they are not only acting against the Nature, they are also betraying the country,” said the Delhi CM.

 

Day after the March 31 incident of Tablighi Jamaat, Delhi government had started giving separate Coronavirus figures related to the incident in its daily health bulletin. The Delhi Minorities Commission had to intervene to stop this trend. Many people had criticized the Delhi government for publicizing Markaz-related figures.







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