Pakistan urges world to take note of Islamophobia in India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tuesday called upon the international community to take note of the aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India, and play its due role in ensuring the religious freedom and safety of the beleaguered Muslim community living in India.

As violence against Muslims in India reaches a new high, the Foreign Office also asked the Indian government to transparently investigate the incidents of widespread violence against minorities, particularly Muslims, and their places of worship and take measures for stopping such incidents in future. “The government of India must ensure the safety, security and well-being of minorities,” Foreign Office said.

Earlier, Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible terms the highly deplorable incidents involving playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu devotional songs on loudspeakers as a counter to the Muslims’ call to prayer (Azaan) at various mosques in Indian state of Karnataka.

“The disturbing incidents occurred only a day after Sri Ram Sena chief made the despicable call for “drowning” the Azaan through the provocative playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu religious hymns. It is condemnable that a reprehensible so-called “Azan se Azaadi” campaign has been launched by Hindu fanatic groups in Karnataka which lays bare the new level of religious radicalism in the BJP-ruled India,” the Foreign Office added.

The Modi government watched in silence and extremists took the silence as encouragement as loudspeakers were being removed from mosques across various states in India under the pretext of ensuring ‘communal harmony’. The Indian media has reported widely on ban of Azaan being relayed through loudspeakers with some mosques in many parts of India now turning down the volume as they come under pressure. The exclusionary policies aimed at denying Muslims their fundamental right to profess and practice their religion, only expose the deep-seated anti-Muslim prejudices in the Indian state and society,” the FO said.