https://sputniknews.in/20230708/us-bombed-muslims-worldwide-yet-has-the-gall-to-lecture-india-2862530.html
US Bombed Muslims Worldwide Yet Has the Gall to Lecture India
US Bombed Muslims Worldwide Yet Has the Gall to Lecture India
Sputnik India
Since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the Western press has been portraying minorities, particularly Muslims, as a 'mistreated' group in India. Ex-US President Barack Obama expressed similar sentiments recently.
2023-07-08T08:00+0530
2023-07-08T08:00+0530
2023-07-09T17:57+0530
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Three Indian Muslim scholars have excoriated former US president Barack Obama and Washington for the 44th US president's remarks about the rights of religious minorities, including Muslims, in India."If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart," Obama told an American publication during Indian Prime Minister Modi's state visit to Washington last month.Pominent Muslim figures from India's intelligentsia questioned whether Obama has the right to comment on India's internal matters, especially when it's common knowledge that as President of the US, he gave orders to bomb several Muslim nations. Obama: A 'Drone President'Obama served as the President of the United States of America for eight years from 2009 to 2017. Notably, he approved 542 drone strikes during this tenure, with most of them carried out against Islamic nations like Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan.According to a report published by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Obama-authorised drone strikes killed 3,797 people, including 324 civilians, earning him the nickname of "drone President" from his detractors.Moreover, during Obama's last year in office, the US dropped 26,172 bombs on seven nations: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. Ironically, all of them are Muslim-majority countries.For those unaware, Obama sanctioned more bomb and drone strikes than his predecessor George W. Bush. Also, he holds the record for being at war longer than any American leader in history.America's 'Shameful' Record on Treatment of Muslims In light of this, Dr. Faizan Mustafa, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), a leading Islamic varsity in India, questioned Obama's comments given that America's own record about treating Muslims was "shameful".Mustafa stated that first and foremost, no nation should interfere in the internal affairs of another country as this is the basic principle of international relations.He added that the United States should not lecture other countries about human rights because the UN has not ratified any international covenant on this subject. Additionally, America's record of human rights violations is utterly horrendous.Similarly, there is an international commission on religious freedom and every year this commission reports about the state of freedom of religion and minorities in different countries. Interestingly, this report also does not contain any section about the US.The point is America's record about Muslims globally is pathetic. In the Middle East, America is with Israel and against the Palestinians, and regarding the Indian subcontinent, it is with Pakistan. Though not exactly against India, Pakistan has been historically a much closer ally of the US.Following the 9/11 terror attacks, the US and many other nations came up with various policies that breached the right to privacy and violated other basic human rights.In a nutshell, Prof. Mustafa stressed that America has not been a great protector of the Muslim cause.US Uses Human Rights as Rhetoric to Arm-Twist NationsMeanwhile, Gulrez Sheikh, a geopolitical analyst linked to a nationalist Muslim organization -- the Muslim Rashtriya Manch -- in India, pointed out that the US has wrecked many countries, grinding them down, using the "human rights" card as rhetoric to arm-twist nations.He observed that America and its allies are now complaining about Muslim immigrants, or African refugees to Europe, but they are responsible for the fiasco. Had the US not gambled on regime change in Libya, this problem would not have existed. This incident distinctly took place under Obama's watch.On the other hand, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief cleric of the top body of Indian Muslim clerics -- All India Imam Organization -- emphasized that Indian Muslims are among the world's freest citizens. And in India, they have got access to such rights that even citizens of Islamic countries do not cherish.Do Muslims Feel Secure in India?He observed that the liberties that Muslims have got in India, are not available to the Muslims of other countries. In neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan, people performing prayers inside mosques are not secure, and often security personnel are deployed outside these places of worship, he added.But in India, Muslims have the freedom to conduct their rituals and perform prayers, and no security is needed outside mosques.Obama Needs to Visit IndiaIlyasi even suggested that if Obama wants to see how Muslims and Hindus of India live in harmony, he must visit the famous shrine of the Sufi saint Moin-ud-din Chishti in Ajmer city. The Sufi shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of people of all faiths throughout the year."In the end, I would reiterate that the former US president must not believe what is being shown to him from outside since Muslims in India are prospering under Prime Minister Modi's leadership as he believes in the principle of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas (Collective Cooperation, Collective Development, and Collective Trust)," Ilyasi concluded.
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US Bombed Muslims Worldwide Yet Has the Gall to Lecture India
08:00 08.07.2023 (Updated: 17:57 09.07.2023) Since Narendra Modi took the reins of power in 2014, the Western press has been portraying minorities, particularly Muslims, as a 'mistreated' group in India. Ex-US President Barack Obama expressed similar sentiments recently.
Three Indian Muslim scholars have excoriated former US president Barack Obama and Washington for the 44th US president's remarks about the rights of religious minorities, including Muslims, in India.
"If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart," Obama told an American publication during Indian Prime Minister Modi's state visit to Washington last month.
Pominent Muslim figures from India's intelligentsia questioned whether Obama has the right to comment on India's internal matters, especially when it's common knowledge that as President of the US, he gave orders to bomb several Muslim nations.
Obama: A 'Drone President'
Obama served as the President of the United States of America for eight years from 2009 to 2017. Notably, he approved
542 drone strikes during this tenure, with most of them carried out against Islamic nations like
Yemen,
Somalia, and
Pakistan.
According to a report published by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Obama-authorised drone strikes killed 3,797 people, including 324 civilians, earning him the nickname of "drone President" from his detractors.
Moreover, during Obama's last year in office, the US dropped 26,172 bombs on seven nations: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. Ironically, all of them are Muslim-majority countries.
For those unaware, Obama sanctioned more bomb and drone strikes than his predecessor George W. Bush. Also, he holds the record for being at war longer than any American leader in history.
America's 'Shameful' Record on Treatment of Muslims
In light of this, Dr. Faizan Mustafa, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), a leading Islamic varsity in India, questioned Obama's comments given that America's own record about treating Muslims was "shameful".
Mustafa stated that first and foremost, no nation should interfere in the internal affairs of another country as this is the basic principle of international relations.
He added that the United States should not lecture other countries about human rights because the UN has not ratified any international covenant on this subject. Additionally, America's record of human rights violations is utterly horrendous.
"Just to give you an example, there is an act in America called the Foreign Aid Act, under which the state of human rights is presented to the Senate. Nations with a poor human rights record are not given foreign aid. But that list does not feature the US," Mustafa told Sputnik on Thursday.
Similarly, there is an international commission on religious freedom and every year this commission reports about the state of freedom of religion and minorities in different countries. Interestingly, this report also does not contain any section about the US.
The point is America's record about Muslims globally is pathetic. In the Middle East, America is with Israel and against the Palestinians, and regarding the Indian subcontinent, it is with Pakistan. Though not exactly against India, Pakistan has been historically a much closer ally of the US.
Following the 9/11 terror attacks, the US and many other nations came up with various policies that breached the right to privacy and violated other basic human rights.
"What was done in Guantanamo Bay is "shameful". But there have been several instances after that as well, especially during Donald Trump's presidency. Many Muslims from outside the US, who were in possession of an American visa were not allowed entry into the United States," the academic noted.
In a nutshell, Prof. Mustafa stressed that America has not been a great protector of the Muslim cause.
US Uses Human Rights as Rhetoric to Arm-Twist Nations
Meanwhile, Gulrez Sheikh, a geopolitical analyst linked to a nationalist Muslim organization -- the Muslim Rashtriya Manch -- in India, pointed out that the US has wrecked many countries, grinding them down, using the "human rights" card as rhetoric to arm-twist nations.
"For instance, they used the same kind of stuff for Muammar Gaddafi. Though Gaddafi's Libya was one of the best nations to live in Africa with one of the highest levels of human development index, and now you can see what they have turned it into," Sheikh noted.
He observed that America and its allies are now complaining about Muslim immigrants, or African refugees to Europe, but they are responsible for the fiasco. Had the US not gambled on regime change in Libya, this problem would not have existed. This incident distinctly took place under Obama's watch.
On the other hand, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief cleric of the top body of Indian Muslim clerics -- All India Imam Organization -- emphasized that Indian Muslims are among the world's freest citizens. And in India, they have got access to such rights that even citizens of Islamic countries do not cherish.
Do Muslims Feel Secure in India?
He observed that the liberties that Muslims have got in India, are not available to the Muslims of other countries.
In neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan, people performing prayers inside mosques are not secure, and often security personnel are deployed outside these places of worship, he added.
But in India, Muslims have the freedom to conduct their rituals and perform prayers, and no security is needed outside mosques.
"Has the Indian government imposed restrictions on Muslims over carrying out their religious duties, or are there daily attacks on our religious places?" he asked.
Obama Needs to Visit India
Ilyasi even suggested that if Obama wants to see how Muslims and Hindus of India live in harmony, he must visit the famous shrine of the Sufi saint Moin-ud-din Chishti in Ajmer city. The Sufi shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of people of all faiths throughout the year.
"I would like to invite Obama to India and stay with the Muslims of the country to witness firsthand
how they are living a peaceful, prosperous life in India," the head cleric of the Muslim clerics' organization stated.
"In the end, I would reiterate that the former US president must not believe what is being shown to him from outside since Muslims in India are prospering under Prime Minister Modi's leadership as he believes in the principle of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas (Collective Cooperation, Collective Development, and Collective Trust)," Ilyasi concluded.
