Recent Islamophobic comments from two prominent BJP leaders have ignited a diplomatic storm against India. States throughout the globe condemned the remarks fueling Islamophobia, including Pakistan, while the government has used force to suffocate the environment for the protesting masses. However, Islamophobia is not something to be seen as an anomaly; it is a norm in Modi’s fascist regime.
The state of India is facing an international boycott due to the Islamophobic comments passed against the Prophet Muhammad and his wife, Aisha. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leadership has expelled the two members. Still, Muslim states in the Middle East and other parts of the world have officially condemned the comments and have demanded an apology from the Indian government. In response to the diplomatic chaos, BJP has released a statement that strongly criticizes the insult of religious personalities. The politicians have delicately termed it a fringe occurrence, but ground realities reflect an opposite image. Islamophobia is a pattern in today’s India and not a radical happening.
Throughout history, it has been evident that Islamophobia is a central tenant of Hindu Nationalists in India. As identified in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the organization aims to turn India into a Hindu land. It is believed the Hindu culture gives the country a life-breath while Islam is incompatible with the Indian culture. BJP’s ideology is also driven by the core and harsh elements of RSS. BJP’s leaders in the past and Modi’s regime have also propagated hatred against Islam. They have used religion as a significant card in electoral politics to gain the sympathy of the masses. Since his tenure as the chief minister of Gujrat in 2001, Modi has portrayed an agony against the Muslims in the country. The ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Gujrat and brutal killing and rape targeting the minorities reflect his fascist views. Since taking charge as the country’s Prime Minister, Modi has further narrowed down the breathing space for the already tortured Muslims of the country.
It seems that Islamophobia has become a state policy since Modi’s tenure started in 2014. For instance, by revoking Article 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution granting special status to the Muslim majority state of Kashmir, the government of India completed the Hindu nationalist “dream.” Prominent leaders of the BJP termed it a critical step to preserve the Hindu culture of Kashmir. In the same way, enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019 fueled large-scale protests in the country, which the government brutally suppressed. Apart from the official change in the country’s political structure, the Muslims in the country find themselves under harsh daily attacks. They are living in a constant state of fear in which a minor tongue slip or an action can turn out to be fatal. It has been seen that lynching and hate speeches against minorities are standard in most cities. The places of worship are continuously targeted, and the right to freedom is forcefully curbed under the Modi’s governance. As per the reports of the Human Rights Watch, 36 Muslims were killed between May 2015 and December 2018 as part of a violent campaign launched by BJP cadres to curtail the usage of beef and cattle trade named “cow vigilante.” The terrible culture of intimidation is growing at a massive pace as Hindu extremists use force to limit the movement and activities of Muslims throughout the country. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was at a halt, India did not stop the efforts to degrade the position of Muslims. Islamophobic comments and misinformation campaigns against the Muslims kicked off with the first wave of the Corona Virus. There were widespread efforts in the country to blame the Muslim missionaries who attended a gathering in Delhi for spreading the virus. Fake images were circulated on social media, and distorted narratives were sold to blame the Muslims for violating the lockdown rules. There was a time when hospitals refused to admit Muslims unless and until they produced a negative COVID-19 test. The living conditions of Muslims in India have deteriorated since Modi has taken charge of the government. The so-called secular state of India seems to promote the notion of pluralism and diversity. Still, the conditions of the Muslim population living in the country tell a different story. Hence, the BJP’s extreme nationalist and fascist policies reflect a robust stance against Muslims.
To conclude, keeping in view the records and the present situation of Modi’s government, it becomes evident that the comments passed by two members of the BJP would hardly be seen as something out of the ordinary. Over the last few years, India has deteriorated the living conditions of Muslims in the country. The Modi regime has successfully integrated Islamophobia as a core element into the domestic realm and ignited an internal hatred against the minorities. The nationalists have used every forum, from psychological operations to diplomatic tools, to suppress the Muslims in the country. The abrogation of the Articles giving special status to the state of Kashmir and the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 are some examples of the fascist policies adopted in the country in the last few years. All these measures aim to suffocate the minorities living in India. The leaders have successfully used the religious card to win elections and tilt the table in their favor. Undoubtedly, the BJP’s leaders have mastered the art of winning the hearts and minds of the masses through the circulation of Islamophobic rhetoric. In a nutshell, recent Islamophobic comments from BJP members are not something unusual; it is very much part and parcel of the party’s ideology.
