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NEW DELHI – The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned anti-Muslim violence in several places in India and called on the Indian authorities to punish those who targeted the community.
The OIC said it has “followed with deep concern the acts of violence and vandalism targeting the Muslim community in several states in India during the Ram Navami processions, including the burning of a madrasa and its library by an extremist Hindu mob in Bihar Sharif on 31 March 2023”.
The 57-member organisation said the violence is “a vivid manifestation of mounting Islamophobia and systemic targeting of the Muslim community in India”.
An armed mob of hundreds carrying out a procession in Bihar Sharif city, about 70km from eastern Bihar state’s capital Patna, to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami, set alight the 110-year-old Madrasa Azizia and its library housing 4,500 books, according to eyewitness accounts.
Several violent incidents against Muslims have been reported in recent days from different regions including Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
The Indian government, meanwhile, rejected the OIC statement.
“We strongly condemn the statement issued by the OIC secretariat today regarding India. This is one more example of their communal mindset and anti-India agenda,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement yesterday. – Bernama, April 5, 2023
