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SARAJEVO, June 13 (FENA) - While the wave of Islamophobia has spread all across the world, its worst form is discernable in India where religious minorities are being subjected to the most heinous act of genocide and that too under the Indian state patronage at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Akhtar Jamil Rao, points out in his press release.
He singles out a recent extremely condemnable act committed by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s two senior officials and spokespersons has shaken the entire Muslim world to the core.
"This deplorable act was further fueled by BJP’s belated and insufficient response which speaks volumes of the religious bigotry of the ruling junta in India. This reprehensible act has caused anguish across the Muslim world including among Indian Muslims who are equally outraged by the highly repugnant comments made by the aforementioned two BJP senior officials," states Rao, adding BJP’s attempted clarification and belated as well as half-hearted action against the above individuals cannot assuage the pain and anguish they have caused to the Muslim world.
There is a need for strong penal action against these individuals at the earliest and without any delay. Muslim world and its political leadership needs to continue mounting pressure on India till the time, justice is seen to be delivered and strict action is taken against the above BJP officials. Rao said that India is home to around 200 million Muslims. However, despite being the largest minority in India, the Muslims in that country are being subjected to communal violence and hatred of unimaginable proportions. That, he says, has intensified under the BJP regime led by Indian Prime Minister Modi.
"The grave violations of minority rights coupled with anti-Muslim legislations by the Indian Government as well as violence against Indian Muslims by various ‘Hindutva’ groups with complete impunity under Indian state patronage is a clear manifestation of the rising tide of Islamophobia and extremism in India," said Ambassador Rao.
He reminds of the difficult situation of Muslims in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and the decision of India to abolish the special status granted to this territory, which, he warns, is an introduction to changing the existing demographic structure to the detriment of the Muslim population.
"Under the incumbent Modi regime, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed by the Indian Parliament in December 2019. This law clearly discriminates against Muslims. This fact has even been highlighted by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. In Assam, where almost one third of the total inhabitants are Muslims is witnessing another bout of unprecedented violence and discrimination. In August 2019, the final National Registry of Citizens (NRC) was issued which rendered around 1.9 million people stateless. Of these, around 90 percent were Muslims who were declared illegal migrants. Pakistan has expressed its deepest concern at the alarming rise in communal violence and hatred against the Muslims in India. Pakistan has always proactively raised its voice over the discrimination and violence being committed against Muslims in India under Indian state patronage. Pakistan has also called upon Indian Government to take immediate steps to protect minorities in India from human rights violations; ensure their safety, security and well-being; and allow them to profess and practice their faiths in peace," stressed the Ambassador.
In his statement the Ambassador said that Pakistan also calls upon the international community to take immediate cognizance of the grievously aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India and hold that country accountable for stifling the minority rights.
"The international community must also dissuade India from its reprehensible campaign of “saffronization” and ensure that Muslims are not victimized for having different religious beliefs than the majority population. In essence, there is a strong need for the global community to intervene for protection of Indian Muslims from a genocide that is already under way against them. There is also a special responsibility on the entire Muslim world and our political leadership to continue mounting diplomatic and political pressure on India so that the perpetrators of violence against Muslims in India are brought to justice," Pakistan's Ambassador to BiH Akhtar Jamil Rao concludes.
(FENA) A. B.
