Grand Cleric Denounces Violence against Muslims in India

Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Ali Alavi Gorgani condemned religious discrimination against Indian Muslims, rebuking the so-called international advocates of human rights for turning a blind eye to savageries and brutalities in the South Asian country.

News ID: 449429

Date: 05 March 2020 - 14:35

RNA - In a statement on Tuesday, Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani deplored the situation facing the Indian Muslims, and said that unfortunately, news coming from India and religious discrimination against Muslims after US president's visit to the country is worrisome.

"Attacking Muslims, killing them, forcing them out of home torments hearts of all free people. Unfortunately, all the catastrophes take place at a time when the international community which is claiming to be advocating human rights is watching in silence and this reveals their human rights claims are false," the Ayatollah said.

"I condemn such behaviors towards Indian Muslims and stress the need for the country's officials to reconsider their means," he said, noting that all the free people and international circles pressure India to prevent a human catastrophe in India.

Based on the Indian government's Citizenship Amendment Act, all nationals from other countries can attain citizenship except Muslims.

By smoothing the path for all non-Muslim immigrants from adjoining countries to attain citizenship, the law paves the way for Muslims to be unfairly disadvantaged when seeking to immigrate to India.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday condemned a recent outburst of violence against Indian Muslims, urging New Delhi to protect all of its citizens regardless of their faith and ethnicity.

“Iran condemns the wave of organized violence against Indian Muslims,” Zarif said in a tweet, while highlighting amicable relations between Tehran and New Delhi

“For centuries, Iran has been a friend of India,” he said, adding, “We urge Indian authorities to ensure the wellbeing of ALL Indians & not let senseless thuggery prevail.”

“Path forward lies in peaceful dialogue and rule of law,” Zarif concluded.

Earlier, on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi voiced his country’s serious concern about the rising atrocities against Muslims in India, adding that Tehran is consistently following up the case.

“We are following the news coming from India with concern,” Mousavi said in his weekly presser.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is following up on the issue through many channels and we have heard that some Muslim countries have had some movements.”

“We know India as a country where all ethnicities and religions live peacefully side by side,” he said, adding, “We hope that violence against Muslims in India would come to an end.”

“Considering the wisdom of Indian authorities that we are aware of, the country will become a peaceful place for all ethnicities,” he said.

The worst anti-Muslim violence by Hindu nationalists began on the eve of a state visit by US President Donald Trump, infamous for his anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies.

According to Fars News Agency, a police statement on Saturday, however, came without elaborating on whether the detainees were perpetrators of deadly violence on mosques and ordinary Muslim residence or Muslims defending their homes against indiscriminate attacks by Hindu nationalists with little intervention by police officers and other government security forces.

Over 40 people were declared killed by Hindu mobs last week, with hundreds more reported injured amid news accounts of largely useless police intervention to end the violence and meager international criticism of New Delhi’s failure to protect its minority Muslim population.

The violence began amid widespread protests across India over a citizenship law that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government introduced in December offering a path to Indian citizenship for six religious groups from neighboring countries, specifically excluding Muslims.

Critics insist the law is discriminatory, coming in the wake of other severe government measures against the country’s Muslim population such as withdrawal of autonomy for Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir province that has intensified discord across India about the future of its 200 million Muslims.

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