Pakistan urges world to take notice of rising violence against Muslims in India

• Foreign Office requests Indian govt to transparently investigate incidents of widespread violence against minorities.
• "Govt of India must ensure the safety, security and well-being of minorities," Foreign Office says.
• Urges international community to play its due role in ensuring religious freedom.

ISLAMABAD: Amid the aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India, Pakistan called upon the international community to take notice and play its due role in ensuring religious freedom and safety of the beleaguered Muslim community living in India, The News reported Wednesday.

The Foreign Office urged the Indian government to transparently investigate the incidents of widespread violence against minorities, particularly Muslims, and their places of worship and take measures for stopping such incidents in future.

“The government of India must ensure the safety, security and well-being of minorities,” Foreign Office said.

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Earlier, Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible terms the highly deplorable incidents involving the playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu devotional songs on loudspeakers as a counter to the Muslims’ call to prayer (Azaan) at various mosques in the Indian state of Karnataka.

“The disturbing incidents occurred only a day after Sri Ram Sena chief made the despicable call for “drowning” the Azaan through the provocative playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu religious hymns. 

It is condemnable that a reprehensible so-called “Azan se Azaadi” campaign has been launched by Hindu fanatic groups in Karnataka which lays bare the new level of religious radicalism in the BJP-ruled India,” the Foreign Office added.

The Modi government watched in silence and extremists took the silence as encouragement as loudspeakers were being removed from mosques across various states in India under the pretext of ensuring "communal harmony". 

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The Indian media has reported widely on the ban of Azaan being relayed through loudspeakers with some mosques in many parts of India now turning down the volume as they come under pressure. 

The exclusionary policies aimed at denying Muslims their fundamental right to profess and practice their religion, only expose the deep-seated anti-Muslim prejudices in the Indian state and society,” the Foreign Office said.