Russian Human Right Activists Say Islamophobia At Alarming Levels In India, China, West

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2020) The most worrying situation regarding the anti-Muslim sentiment is in India, China, the United States, Western Europe and the middle East, Russian human rights activists said on Monday when presenting a report on the rights of Muslims.

The Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia and the Russian Association for the Defense of Religious Freedom presented the report titled "On the situation regarding the observance of the rights of Muslims in Russia" during a press conference at the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency. According to the religious organization and the public association, the cases of violation of Muslims' rights can be divided into three main groups � acts of physical violence, discrimination by state authorities, and a rise in islamophobia based on the growth of nationalism or the spread of secular values.

"The most alarming situation in recent years can be seen in India, Myanmar, China, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Western countries," the report said.

In particular, Russian activists link growing Islamophobia in India with the emergence of nationalism and the support of radicals by the ruling BJP party.

Moreover, the anti-Muslim sentiment in the Western countries is related to secular ideology, according to the report.

"Burning of mosques and anti-Muslim actions were frequent manifestations of a phobia of religion in 2019-2020. In Europe, an increase in the number of such incidents is associated with the rise of nationalist ideas, a general increase in anti-religious hatred, especially Islamophobia and anti-Semitism," the activists said, also mentioning attacks on mosques in Oslo and London.

The activists also said that laws that envision a ban on wearing Muslim clothing in several European countries and criminal responsibility for expressing disagreement with LGBT or transgender ideology contribute to the rise of Islamophobia.