In India today, a dangerous alliance between state power and religious nationalism is laying the foundations for a systemic war on Muslims — not only through laws and policies, but through rhetoric, myths, and violent mobilization. At the heart of this crisis lies a campaign of dehumanisation that portrays India’s 200 million Muslims not as fellow citizens, but as enemies of the nation.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — under Narendra Modi’s leadership — has not only tolerated, but often encouraged anti-Muslim hate speech. In a country grappling with rising gender-based violence and social inequality, BJP leaders and their ideological affiliates instead target Islam, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and the Muslim community to distract, provoke, and consolidate their base.
From Slurs to Strategy: The Politics Behind the Hate
In 2020, India reported over 28,000 cases of rape, many involving minors — an epidemic that continues with minimal accountability. And yet, amid this humanitarian crisis, BJP spokespersons launched attacks on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, attempting to distort his marriage to Sayyidah Aisha (RA) as a justification for their own failures on women’s rights.
The BJP later suspended Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal after backlash across the Muslim world, but not without first defending their statements, dismissing the outrage of the OIC, Qatar, and Kuwait as “misguided and narrow-minded.” In retaliation for Qatar’s condemnation, Hindu activists even called for boycotting Qatar Airways — further stoking hostility.
Rather than an isolated incident, these attacks represent a wider ideological project. They are not random slip-ups, but calculated components of a Hindutva vision that sees Islam — and Muslims — as outsiders who must be silenced, reconverted, or expelled.
A Deep-Seated Obsession With Islam
Why is Islam the main target of Hindu extremists?
Because historically, Islam is the unifying force they fear most. The caste system in Hinduism fractures society across thousands of lines, with Dalits, or “Untouchables,” still subjected to humiliation, forced labor, and sexual violence. In contrast, Islam’s message of equality before God undermines the very fabric of caste-based Hindu nationalism.
To unite fragmented Hindu castes, extremist ideologues manufactured a common enemy — Islam. They rewrote Indian history to portray Muslims as foreign invaders, temple destroyers, and cultural threats. British colonial policies of “divide and rule” only deepened the wedge, rewarding those who vilified the Islamic legacy of India’s past.
The result? A society primed for sectarian hatred, where mob lynchings, mosque demolitions, and hate campaigns are now routine.
From Babri Mosque to Bulldozers: The Weaponisation of Hindu Myth
One of the most symbolic victories for Hindutva forces came when the Babri Masjid was razed and replaced with a Hindu temple, celebrated by none other than Narendra Modi, who laid its foundation on the anniversary of Kashmir’s autonomy being revoked.
The message was clear: India is for Hindus — Muslims are interlopers.
BJP leaders, monks, and affiliated influencers — like Yati Narsinghanand, who called Muslims a “criminal gang” and insulted the Prophet ﷺ and Sayyidah Aisha (RA) — have repeatedly justified hate as “truth.” Their supporters flood social media with abuse, mock Qur’anic verses, and even publish edited Islamic books to ridicule Islamic teachings — all while collecting crowdfunding donations to expand these operations.
Social Media as a Battleground for Hate
With minimal regulation, platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter (X), and Facebook have become breeding grounds for extremist Hindutva propaganda. There are now dozens of online networks dedicated to:
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- Disseminating fake “translations” of Islamic texts
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- Sharing hate-filled memes and doctored videos
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- Promoting false conspiracy theories like “Love Jihad” and “Corona Jihad”
Muslims are accused of spreading COVID-19, “luring” Hindu women into marriage, and plotting demographic takeovers — despite being only 15% of the population. These false narratives justify violence, and more critically, strip Muslims of their right to exist with dignity.
A Manufactured Fear, A Mobilised Mass
The logic is simple: if Muslims can be framed as an existential threat, anything done to them — from lynching to bulldozing their homes — becomes “self-defence.”
This fear-based framework has allowed BJP leaders to:
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- Evict Muslims under the guise of “illegal encroachment”
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- Imprison scholars and activists
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- Ban Hijab in schools and universities
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- Criminalise interfaith marriages
The “Ghar Wapsi” campaign, which aims to “return” Indian Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, openly declares India to be a Hindu-only nation, branding other faiths as foreign impositions.
A Systemic Strategy, Not a Scandal
The demonisation of Muslims — from hate speeches to digital disinformation to legislative exclusion — is no accident. It is policy, rooted in a century-old ideology that has infiltrated state institutions, law enforcement, and national education.
And when hate becomes law, violence becomes governance.
Final Thought: Standing Against a State-Sanctioned Hate
India, the land of Gandhi’s nonviolence, is now being reshaped by the ideology of Godse, Gandhi’s assassin — a man revered by many of today’s Hindutva figures.
The Muslim Ummah, human rights defenders, and global conscience must not normalise this hate. The issue is no longer just Indian. It is a litmus test for the world’s commitment to religious freedom, minority rights, and truth.
Because when the honour of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is under attack, and Muslims are being lynched, locked out, and labelled, silence is complicity — and awareness is the first act of resistance.
