Pakistan strongly condemns ‘despicable’ insult of Muslim women in India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday ‘strongly’ condemned the “despicable and totally unacceptable harassment and insult of Muslim women on the internet and purpose-built online application in India”.

“In a completely obnoxious and repugnant act, aimed at humiliating, harassing and insulting Muslim women, their doctored images have been placed on the internet application with outrageous captions for ‘auction’. Hate-mongering followers of such applications attacked the dignity of nearly 100 influential Muslim women by ‘bidding’ on them with deeply offensive remarks,” said the Foreign Office in a statement.

The FO said that the recent insult was the “newest low in the violent streak of hate attacks against minorities in India”.

“Cyberspace has been used once again, to demean and harass women, particularly Muslim women, to create a feeling of fear and shame amongst the Muslim community,” it added.

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“These horrifying occurrences have left Muslim women traumatised and in deep fear. Under the Hindutva-inspired BJP-RSS combine dispensation in New Delhi, space for minorities particularly Muslims is continuously shrinking in India,” said the FO in the statement.

Pakistan reminded the world that it was “reprehensible” that New Delhi did not take action against the “perpetrators of similar abhorrent act six months ago”.

“Deafening silence of the BJP leadership and absence of discernible action against ‘Hindutva’ proponents openly calling for genocide of Muslims should send alarm bells across the international community about the gross and systematic human rights violations of minorities particularly Muslims in India,” said the FO.

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The FO reiterated that Islamabad calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations and relevant international human rights and humanitarian organisations to fulfil their responsibilities to stop the rising xenophobia, Islamophobia and violent attacks against minorities in India.