India has long been known as the world’s largest democracy, but today, it seems to be transforming into the most racist nation on earth. The recent protests against blasphemous remarks targeting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have highlighted India’s deep-seated discrimination against Muslims. Instead of addressing the public outrage, the government launched an illegal demolition campaign against the homes of Muslim protesters.
“Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Muslim in the unofficial Hindu state called India? How does it feel to endure daily humiliation, abuse, and brutality? And how does it feel when the state itself crushes your spirit—or worse, your home?”
These words were expressed by Afreen Fatima, an Indian Muslim student activist, as she narrated the personal tragedy she and her family faced when their home was demolished after protests erupted in response to offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Writing for Time magazine, she stated, “From our beliefs and history to our food and clothing, Hindu supremacists who rule India today have left nothing untouched in their campaign against our community.”
Under Narendra Modi’s government, which has been in power for eight years, the foundations of India’s secularism have been systematically dismantled. The government has consistently found new ways to target Muslims. Last month, bulldozers razed my home to the ground.
Institutional Racism Against Muslims in India
One of the most blatant displays of this discrimination is the Citizenship Amendment Act, which excludes Muslim migrants from naturalization while granting citizenship to non-Muslims under similar circumstances. Other actions include the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy, the detention of pro-India Kashmiri leaders, bans on hijabs in educational institutions, and, most recently, the demolition of Muslim homes belonging to those who protested against the blasphemous remarks made by members of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Illegal Arrests and Suppression of Muslim Voices
In late May, a BJP spokesperson made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on live television, igniting outrage among Muslims in India and beyond.
On June 10, after Jumu’ah prayers, Muslims in several Indian cities staged protests against this blasphemy. In Allahabad, one such protest turned violent, prompting an immediate crackdown by security forces, leading to arbitrary arrests and detentions of Muslims without due process.
They Threatened My Mother and Sister with Torture Before Issuing a Backdated Demolition Notice
My family found itself at the mercy of a brutal state. My father, a community leader and activist, was unlawfully detained. In a shocking violation of human rights, police raided our home at midnight, arresting my mother and sister without a warrant. They were held in a police station for 35 hours, subjected to threats and intimidation.
The authorities forced my family out of our home by threatening my mother and sister with torture and criminal charges if they refused to comply. On June 11, in the late evening, a notice was placed on our door—backdated—to falsely claim that our house was built illegally and would be demolished the next day.
Suddenly, our legally owned home, for which we had always paid taxes, was deemed “illegal.” The government justified this decision based on complaints from three supposed “concerned citizens” of the neighborhood—none of whom our actual neighbors could identify.
Bulldozer Justice: Muslims Are Not Equal Citizens in India
Our home became another victim of what is now widely known as “bulldozer justice” in India. The government fabricates crimes against Muslims, blames them for violence, and then destroys their homes as collective punishment.
Earlier this year, during a Hindu festival, sword-wielding Hindu mobs marched through Muslim neighborhoods in several cities, blasting offensive chants through loudspeakers in front of mosques—even during Ramadan—before launching attacks on Muslim homes and businesses.
Despite this, police blamed Muslims for inciting violence, arrested hundreds, including minors, and demolished their homes—without any legal ruling justifying such actions. Even if individuals were proven guilty of violence, property destruction is not part of any legal sentencing in India. But in this emerging Hindu state, Muslims have no legal protection and are treated as second-class citizens.
Rape Threats and Fear of Abduction by Extremists
My father remains imprisoned, his face shown on television as a spectacle. News anchors spin conspiracy theories about us, labeling us “jihadists” and “traitors.”
I have received threats of rape and murder. Now that my identity is public, I am afraid to leave my home. I live like a prisoner.
My fellow Muslim student activists have been arrested without due process. Some of them have disappeared, and their families do not know if they are in custody or kidnapped by Hindu extremists—the line between the two is increasingly blurred.
Muslim Women Auctioned Online by Extremists
Adding to the horror, Hindu nationalists have openly auctioned Muslim women online, treating us as commodities in a dystopian display of Islamophobia.
In my Time article, I wrote, “I must ensure my safety and my family’s security—both online and in real life, physically and mentally.”
This is what “freedom” looks like in the so-called world’s largest democracy. I am forced to live like this simply because I am a Muslim. Worse still, I am a Muslim who speaks out.
India’s Descent into Lawlessness
How did India reach this point? How did I? How did my family get caught in this downward spiral of majoritarian rule?
I grew up in a middle-class household. My father was a businessman and activist. Despite financial challenges, my parents ensured my siblings and I received the best education. They raised us to be independent, God-fearing, and socially responsible citizens.
But in Modi’s India, these values are not welcome in Muslims. We are expected to erase our religious identity. If we assert our existence, we are labeled “jihadists” and “radicals.” We are not supposed to be seen or heard—our very presence is considered a crime.
Even My City’s Name Was Changed
When I studied at Aligarh Muslim University in 2017, Yogi Adityanath, a hardline Hindu supremacist monk, became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh—the largest and most politically significant state in India, with a population of 245 million, including a sizeable Muslim minority.
Under his rule, Muslims were marginalized further. Islamic-sounding place names were erased. My city’s historic name, Allahabad, was changed to Prayagraj, as part of a wider effort to erase Muslim heritage.
My activism led me to contest student union elections, where I became president. I used my platform to challenge the rising hate speech and threats against Muslims. The backlash from Hindu extremists was severe—but it only strengthened my resolve.
Muslims Were Blamed for COVID-19 and Massacred in Delhi
During protests against the discriminatory Citizenship Act in 2019, many of my friends were arrested, and Muslims in Delhi were massacred in a state-backed pogrom.
When COVID-19 struck, our protests ceased. My family turned our soon-to-be-demolished home into a food distribution center, providing essentials to those in need. But while we were helping people survive the lockdown, Hindu extremists blamed Muslims for spreading the virus, fueling further discrimination.
Week by week, new attacks on Muslims emerged—a never-ending cycle of hatred, oppression, and fear. Ramadan provided a brief spiritual escape, but it was short-lived. Hindu mobs resumed their violence, more homes were bulldozed, and my father was arrested for calling for justice.
Finally, “bulldozer justice” arrived at my doorstep.
They televised the destruction of my home, with BJP media allies celebrating this act of collective punishment against Muslims.
Now, I do not know what is happening to my father in detention. I do not know if I will ever sleep peacefully again.
This is the reality of being Muslim in Modi’s India.
Does the world see us? Does it even care?
