#xenophobiaagainstMuslims

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Xenophobia in India

Specific Issue of Public Concern 

In recent years, with the changes in power in Indian politics, there has been an ever-growing problem of xenophobia and violence against the Muslim population. Muslims have been increasingly at risk of xenophobic violence since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, first took control after winning the 2014 elections. Prior to the 2014 elections, Indians of any and all faiths had been protected peacefully against the laws which protect secularism and equality. But since Narendra Modi and his administration took office, BJP leaders have repeatedly made Hindu nationalist and anti-Muslim remarks in their interviews and speeches. These remarks have provoked BJP and Hindu nationalist supporters, making the lives of Muslim people living in India quite dangerous. “Government policy has also reflected bias against Muslims. Since October 2018, Indian authorities have deported over a dozen Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar despite the risks to their lives and security”. Additionally, police forces have failed to intervene when supporters of the BJP are speaking publicly inciting violence or mob attacks. On the contrary, the police are very quick to arrest anyone who publicly criticizes the government. Now, taking a step back and looking at India through a broader lens, it can be seen that violence against religious minority groups did not start with Narendra Modi and the BJP government. India’s Sikhs have experienced harassment, legal deprivation, and attacks. The Christian religion in India, brought about by the British East India Company, is negatively viewed by Indians because of the association with British rule, colonization, and forced religion. Fast forward to today, the majority of xenophobic violence is projected towards Muslims as Hindu nationalist, Modi, has brought about a movement of “ethnic cleansing” to the country. 

Why It Matters 

The issue of xenophobic violence matters and should not be taken lightly. Times Magazine put out a story in June 2019 referencing a video taken of a 24-year-old Muslim man by the name of Tabrez Ansari “tied up, bleeding profusely all over his body, hands folded, was being lynched by a mob that forced him to chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Hanuman’ (Glory to Lord Ram ad Lord Hanuman)”. ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a rallying cry for Hindu nationalists in India. This viral video was the first hate crime of Narendra Modi’s second term as Prime Minister. Ansari died at the hands of a Hindu mob in the eastern state of Jharkhand. The same week Ansari passed away, there were two other acts of violence against Muslim men in different parts of India. It has been found that as many as 90% of religious hate crimes since 2009 have occurred after Modi and the BJP took power in 2014. During his acceptance speech, Modi addressed the members of the new Indian Parliament, promising to protect the interests of all Indian minority groups, though the words turned out to be nothing more than deception. The lives of hundreds of millions of Muslims in India are in danger every day as India “becomes immersed in hate to fulfill the opportunistic ambitions of a leader who raises Hindu nationalist slogans”. 

Who It Affects  

Specific to this day and age, Muslims in India are the main targets for hate crimes being provoked by Hindu nationalist supporters. Throughout the country there have been Islamaphobic ads in newspapers, calls for genocide against Muslims, and an app called Bulli Bai created to sexualize and humiliate Muslim women. Al Jazeera wrote that “India’s far-right Prime Minister Narendra Modi made connections between Muslim figures from India’s distant history and current-day “terrorism and religious extremism” in two of his public speeches”. Having a Prime Minister fueling hatred towards Muslims, showing his support and encouragement of far-right Hindu nationalists, makes it clear that Muslims are no longer seen as equal citizens in India. 

From: Time Magazine. Indian Muslims hold a banner as they protest against the mob lynching of Tabrez Ansari in the Jharkhand state, in Ahmedabad on June 26, 2019. Sam Panthaky—AFP/Getty Images