Governments must speak up and condemn violence against Muslims in India – By Gurpreet Singh
… Attacks on religious minorities, particularly Muslims, have grown in India since the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power with a brute majority five years ago. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was complicit in an anti-Muslim massacre in Gujarat in 2002, when he was chief minister there. Though he was never charged, survivors of the violence and human rights activists maintain that he and the BJP were directly involved in the pogrom.
BJP supporters who wish to transform India into a Hindu theocracy continue to intimidate minority communities with impunity. Some Muslims have been physically prevented from practicing their faith by the right-wing goons. Dozens of Muslims have been murdered by mobs led by self-styled cow vigilantes.… Unlike New Zealand, where the government isn’t backing the white supremacist who committed the horrific crime in Christchurch, in India the anti-Muslim mobsters are patronized by the ruling party. In some instances, BJP leaders have even openly praised those involved in violence against Muslims.…
Canadians take democracy in India for granted. They need to look and find out what the BJP government stands for. The idea of racial superiority is not new to this party. Its founders held allegiance to the ultra Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and had a great reverence for people like Adolf Hitler. Now the BJP has a lot of respect for men like Donald Trump — who had an influence on the Christchurch shooter.… It is time for the B.C. government and the Canadian government to pay attention to what is going on India. Making trade relations with that country is one thing, but remaining silent over repression under the garb of democracy is totally unacceptable.
SEE ALSO:
- Christchurch shootings: why would some Indian Hindus celebrate the death of Muslims? – By Soumya Shankar (Mar 23, 2019, Scmp.com)
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3002931/christchurch-shootings-why-would-some-indian-hindus-celebrate - Islamophobia, theirs and ours – By Apoorvanand (Mar 21, 2019, Indian Express)
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/new-zealand-christchurch-mosque-attack-muslims-5636575/ - Christchurch attacks are a stark warning of toxic political environment that allows hate to flourish Written – By Greg Barton (Mar 18, 2019, Sabrang India)
https://www.sabrangindia.in/article/christchurch-attacks-are-stark-warning-toxic-political-environment-allows-hate-flourish - Biggest attack on Muslims shows hate breeding online – Editorial (Mar 17, 2019, Asian Age)
http://www.asianage.com/opinion/edit/160319/biggest-attack-on-muslims-shows-hate-breeding-online.html
