Islamophobia in India: Pakistan rejects misleading media reports on OIC meeting

Envoy highlighted rising wave of Islamophobia and state-sponsored violence against Indian Muslims: FO

Pakistan has categorically rejected misleading and factually incorrect media reports about the virtual meeting of OIC ambassadors to the United Nations on May 20, in which Pakistan was accused of doing propaganda over increasing Islamophobia under the Modi government.

The distorted reporting first appeared in a section of Indian media, claiming Maldives had “called out Pakistan’s propaganda against India at the meeting”.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN highlighted the rising wave of Islamophobia and state-sponsored violence against Indian Muslims that has entered into a dangerous phase under the RSS-BJP dispensation during the OIC meeting.

“Highlighting the scourge of Islamophobia in India, he updated the OIC group on recent episodes of Islamophobia and targeted violence against Indian Muslims and Kashmiris. Sharing the growing concern over serious implications of Islamophobia in India, a large number of OIC Ambassadors supported the need for a coordinated OIC position on Islamophobia at the UN,” she added.

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Representing the collective voice of the Muslim Ummah, the OIC has repeatedly expressed serious concern on Islamophobia and targeted violence against Muslims in India, as manifested in various decisions and Resolutions of Islamic Summits and Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs), she said.

The OIC and its human rights body -- OIC-IPHRC -- have issued strong statements on the Indian government’s recent anti-Muslim actions, including CAA, targeted killing of Muslims in Delhi, Babri Masjid verdict, and demonisation of Muslims in the context of Covid-19.

Besides OIC, the United Nations human rights machinery, the international human rights organisations, and the international media have taken cognisance of the situation and expressed concerns in this regard, the FO spokesperson maintained.