India Slams ‘Motivated & Misleading’ OIC Statement On Hijab Row, Haridwar Hate Speeches
New Delhi, Feb 15: India on Tuesday slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for issuing “another motivated and misleading statement”, this time on the hijab controversy, the Haridwar hate speeches and the harassment of Muslim women on social media sites.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the OIC “continues to be hijacked by vested interests to further their nefarious propaganda against India”, and as a result it has “only harmed its own reputation”.
The MEA statement read: “We have noted yet another motivated and misleading statement from the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on matters pertaining to India. Issues in India are considered and resolved in accordance with our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as democratic ethos and polity. The communal mindset of the OIC Secretariat does not allow for a proper appreciation of these realities. OIC continues to be hijacked by vested interests to further their nefarious propaganda against India. As a result, it has only harmed its own reputation.”
The OIC General Secretariat in a statement expressed “deep concern over recent public calls for genocide of Muslims by the ‘Hindutva’ proponents in Haridwar in the State of Uttarakhand, and reported incidents of harassment of Muslim women on social media sites as well as banning of Muslim girl students from wearing hijab in the State of Karnataka”.
In tweets, it called upon the international community, especially the UN mechanisms and Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, to take necessary measures in this regard.
It also urged “India to ensure the safety, security & wellbeing of the Muslim community while protecting the way of life of its members & to bring the instigators & perpetrators of acts of violence and hate crimes against them to justice”.
On Saturday, India had rejected “motivated comments” on the hijab controversy by some countries, and said the issue would be decided by the court based on India’s democratic ethos and polity and constitutional framework. Pakistan had summoned the Indian Charge D’Affaires last Wednesday to register its protest over the hijab ban in schools in Karnataka.
The US Office of International Religious Freedom (IRF) had on Friday said that the hijab ban “violate religious freedom and stigmatize and marginalize women and girls.”
Pakistan has publicly commented on the Haridwar hate speeches, and the harassment of some Muslim women on social media sites by some fringe elements, who have been taken into custody.
