India Un Speech: India at UN slams Pakistan for ‘fabricating’ Islamophobia narratives, flags Ahmadiyya repression, Afghan bombings | India News
India at UN condemns Pakistan for ‘falsifying’ flag on Islamophobia, Ahmadiyya crackdown, Afghan bombings
India on Monday strongly called out Pakistan at the United Nations for what it described as habitual “fabrication” of Islamophobia narratives against neighboring countries, while questioning Islamabad’s own record on its treatment of minorities during Ramadan and its actions against Afghanistan.At the UN General Assembly event commemorating the International Day Against Islamophobia, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, issued a scathing rebuttal aimed at Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), while also urging the UN to avoid a single-religious framework. Discrimination
‘India’s Western Neighbour’ creates stories of Islamophobia
Harish said, “India’s western neighbor is an excellent example of creating a fantasy story of Islamophobia in their neighborhood.”In a pointed attack, he added: “One wonders what will be called the brutal crackdown on Ahmadis in this country, or the large-scale repatriation of hapless Afghans, or the aerial bombardment in this holy month of Ramadan?”Harish was reacting in the context of Pakistan’s repeated attempts to raise allegations against India in multilateral forums under the banner of Islamophobia.He also said that the OIC, which has “systematically tried to weaponize our western neighbour, India”, has repeatedly made “false and baseless allegations” against the country.
India warns against weaponizing religion at UN
Harish emphasized that the UN must “consider the growing trend and dangers of weaponizing religious identity and its instrumentalization of narrow political ends by state and non-state actors alike.”According to news agency PTI, he warned that politicizing religion does not address grievances and instead risks legitimizing “selective, polarizing narratives” that deepen divisions.“The United Nations was conceived as an institution that transcended religion, culture and politics. Its credibility depends on universality and impartiality,” he said.He also emphasized “warning against frameworks that focus exclusively on one faith, without addressing the wider phenomenon of religious phobia in all its manifestations.”India also underlined that the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief remains a balanced and permanent instrument as it protects the followers of all religions without privileging any one religion.
India highlights the representation of its Muslim population, Kashmir
Emphasizing India’s plural character, Harish said India is home to more than 200 million Muslims, one of the largest Muslim populations in the world.He said Muslims in India, including Jammu and Kashmir, elect their own representatives to speak for them.“The only ‘phobia’ evident here seems to be directed against the multicultural and peaceful coexistence that all communities in India, including the Muslim community, enjoy,” he said.He added that such narratives run counter to India’s “fundamental ethos” and instead “reflect the communalism and terrorist mentality that this country has perpetuated since its inception.”
The reference to Afghanistan adds a sharp edge
Harish’s reference to “air bombing in this holy month of Ramadan” comes amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.Afghanistan alleged that an airstrike on Kabul’s Omid addiction treatment hospital on Monday night killed nearly 400 people and wounded nearly 250 others, with Taliban spokesmen blaming Pakistan. However, Pakistani media outlet Sama, citing security sources, rejected the allegations and claimed that the attack on a drug treatment hospital was “ridiculous”.Pakistani authorities said the strikes targeted Taliban-linked military infrastructure in Kabul and Nangarhar and were carried out “without any casualties”.
