What Sparked the Trend Talk To A Muslim in India?
News Desk
Islamabad: The hashtag urging people to engage with India’s Muslim community gained traction following remarks made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.
During a meeting with Muslim leaders and activists, Gandhi referred to his Congress party as inclusive, leading the BJP to accuse him of pursuing Muslim appeasement for political gain, citing an Urdu daily Inquilab’s report of the meeting on July 12.
This accusation reignited discussions about religious identity and political rhetoric in India.
The hashtag #TalktoAMuslim gained prominence amid political tensions surrounding the Hindu-Muslim divide in India.
Following allegations made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and an Urdu newspaper, both entities refuted the claims.
Nevertheless, these events underscored the ongoing political discourse around religious identity in the country.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, India’s Muslim community has voiced concerns over inflammatory rhetoric from Hindu nationalist figures.
Incidents such as large-scale “ghar wapsi” ceremonies, aimed at converting individuals to Hinduism, and attacks by vigilante groups targeting Muslims, particularly over allegations related to cow protection, have drawn significant attention.
I'm An Indian Muslim.
I'm Human too.
You can talk to me.#TalkToAMuslim https://t.co/fvkYcWPday pic.twitter.com/lup88CjD2N— Zainab Sikander (@zainabsikander) July 17, 2018
The issue of vigilantism and communal violence prompted India’s Supreme Court to call for legislative action to address the “horrendous acts” of lynching in the country.
Opposition parties have voiced criticism against Modi, alleging his failure to address violence directed at Muslims and accusing his party of displaying sectarian bias.
#TalkToAMuslim seriously didn’t think a day would come where talking to a muslim leader or a commoner would question ur patriotism or ur belief in ur own faith!!by land I am a Hindu ,by faith I am a Muslim and by heart n soul INDIAN is my identity !!! #killThehate #spreadlove pic.twitter.com/kiXaHNmplA
— Gauahar Khan (@GAUAHAR_KHAN) July 17, 2018
Despite constituting approximately 14 percent of India’s population of 1.3 billion, Muslims have increasingly expressed concerns about their safety and well-being in the face of rising communal tensions.
#India comes in all creeds, and from all beliefs. India stands for love and peace. ❤️ #TalkToAMuslim pic.twitter.com/94T1KSrba5
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 17, 2018
However, there are individuals who argue that hashtags like #TalkToAMuslim are unnecessary, disgusting, or demeaning to Indian Muslims.
Muslims aren't the demons or unspeakables they are portrayed out to be. We're humans too, and you can talk to us. You can talk to me.#TalkToAMuslim @ReallySwara @WajahatJilani pic.twitter.com/2xSESmcCXT
— Ansab Amir Khan (@ansab_amir) July 17, 2018
I am an Indian Muslim,I love my country, I love all the religions of the land of the nation, I love togetherness. Talk to me, talk to a Muslim .#TalkToAMuslim pic.twitter.com/pPHeEMoC8h
— Dr. Maskoor Usmani (@MaskoorUsmani) July 17, 2018
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