Addressing the UN General Assembly during Wednesday’s debate on ‘Culture of Peace,’ Pakistan’s UN envoy, Munir Akram, called on US President Joe Biden to oppose India’s “oppression and atrocities” against Muslims, Christians, and Kashmiris during his meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit the US starting from 21-24 June.
Overview
Speaking of India’s actions, Akram said the country had witnessed a rise in hate crimes, discrimination, xenophobia, and other such attacks on religious, racial, and cultural minorities.
He claimed that the situation in India is the “most adverse development” of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate and hostility since the 9/11 attacks. He further asserted that India has used military intervention to target thousands of Muslims, which has had global consequences.
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy added that the international community had seen “the worst contemporary manifestation of Islamophobia” in India through the “Hindutva hate” propagated against Muslims, Christians, and Kashmiris. He warned that the Hindutva ideology speaks of Hindu supremacy, which was developed along similar lines as the Nazi movement in the 1920s and adhered to the same ideology.
Akram highlighted, “[Proponents of Hindutva] seek to transform India into an exclusive Hindu State in which Muslims and other minorities are obliged to convert to Hinduism or accept ejection or a second-class existence.”
To this end, he warned of persecution of Indian Muslims just like the Jewish community during the Nazi regime.
Calls on International Community for Action
Akram said that those who welcome the Indian PM for meetings must call for an end to the “harsh suppression.” The Pakistani envoy emphasised that the international community’s silence “exposes their real commitments to universal human values and human rights as being hollow.”
#WATCH | Entire territory of J&K is & will always be an integral part of India... We call on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism so our citizens can enjoy their right to life & liberty: Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Representative to the UN
— ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2022
(Source: UN TV) pic.twitter.com/cKY0QoRNCm
In this regard, he stressed the need to demand an end to India’s bid to “eliminate India’s Islamic heritage,” which New Delhi is achieving by modifying history books and road and city names. In addition, he claimed that the CAA/NRC regime will render the Muslim population in India “stateless.” Finally, he highlighted the spread of cow vigilantism and the attacks in the name of Love-Jihad.
India’s Response
In response, India’s UN envoy Ruchira Kamboj offered “the utmost sympathy” for Pakistan’s “ignorance” and “total lack of appreciation for a culture of peace.” She said that Akram’s statements were tainted with the “mindset that utters falsehoods.”
Without explicitly referring to Pakistan, Kamboj said, “Most regrettably, we’ve heard some deeply distorted and inaccurate not to mention malicious remarks from a delegate.”
Nevertheless, Kamboj said she would not respond to Akram’s allegations and “waste” the UN assembly’s time.