By PTI
NEW DELHI: A section of activists and experts on Monday questioned the “silence”‘ of Muslim nations on China’s treatment of minorities and alleged violation of human rights there after some of these countries lodged a protest with India over the remarks of two BJP functionaries on Prophet Mohammad.
The row over the alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated on Sunday with protests from countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran, prompting the BJP to take action against its functionaries and assert that it respects all religions.
But after the reaction of the Islamic countries, questions are being asked in some quarters on whether these nations will raise similar objections against China, which has been accused by many human rights groups of targeting Muslims and other minorities.
Bejing has been denying these allegations.
Brahma Chellaney, Professor Emeritus of strategic studies at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), said, “Some Muslim states that have been mute on China’s assault on Islam, including incarcerating over a million Muslims and confiscating Korans, have played up the anti-Muslim remarks of two Indians now expelled from the ruling party.
“Is it because they perceive India as a soft state?” Kasturi Shankar, an activist and lawyer, also took to Twitter echoing similar sentiments.
“Nations that claim to stand for the sentiments of the world’s two billion Muslims do nothing for Muslims in Afghanistan, Syria, China or Burma.”
“We can do nothing against ISIS or China or Taliban, so let’s pick on a lone woman in a TV debate instead,” Shankar said.
Former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP member Balbir Punj took to Twitter saying, “World knows how China treats its minorities- specifically Muslims & Tibetan Buddhists. China violates all human rights, international conventions while dealing with Islam & Muslims in Xinjiang. None in the world even squeaks about it. Why? Why? (sic)”.
He alleged that the Congress, the communists and “jihadis” were celebrating as their “‘relentless campaign on manufactured intolerance against Modi & India has worked for now”.
“‘We have to work harder to expose the real character of this lot & neutralise them to save plural India,” he said.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait expressed their condemnation of the controversial remarks against the Prophet by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and former Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal, and called for “respect for beliefs and religions.”
Indian ambassadors were summoned and handed over protest notes.
As the row intensified domestically and abroad, the BJP on Sunday suspended Nupur Sharma and expelled Jindal.
Sharma’s comments, made in a TV debate nearly 10 days ago, and Jindal’s now-deleted tweets also sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries.
“I condemn hate speech of any kind. I condemn hate speech by anyone. What piques me is the selective outrage and double standards.”
The world needs to put humanity before religion,” Shankar said.
“Nupur Sharma was way out of line. I cannot imagine the party had any other option but to expel her. That said, I don’t hear any of these countries condemn the manchester massacre, Charlie Hebdo or Islamic terrorist acts,” she said in a series of tweets.
Divya Kumar Soti, security affairs analyst and columnist, also raised the issue of Uighurs and restrictions on Muslims imposed by the Chinese regime.
“China sent millions of Uighur Muslims to reeducation camps, banned hijab and beard, restricted namaz and Ramzan. Did any Arab country ever dare summon a Chinese ambassador?” Soti said.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also took a swipe at the Arab countries over their reaction.
“So Arab countries will now decide who should be a member of @BJP4India & what should be the basic principles on which the party should function,” he tweeted.
Shankar said those who issue statements on behalf of all the Muslims of the world “should logically take responsibility for all the crimes by any and all Muslims too”.
Several other Twitter users echoed the same sentiments.
“Kuwait and Qatar never bothered about the actual torture of Uighur Muslims by China. But a TV debate on an Indian channel where the opponent was also insulting Hindus left right center rattled them,” said Monica Verma.
Vishwas Mehta, another user, tweeted, “As an Indian, my respect to China on this matter because no Muslim country dares to say a word to the Chinese government for making concentration camps, atrocities on Muslims.
They just make it look so simple and peaceful”.
Pakistan, which has often drawn flak over the treatment meted out to minorities on its soil, had also summoned the Indian chargé d’affaires over the remarks by the two BJP leaders.