The thing about systemic injustice is how the general population doesn’t realize the chokehold it has on it. Systemic injustice creeps into the mind and takes hold of thoughts and attitudes made about certain groups of people. It doesn’t even matter if that person or group of people did nothing wrong, there is already a preconceived notion of how those people will act. The acts of hate that eventually became an instilled mindset are what continue to fuel systemic injustice to this day. It is because there are so many systemic injustices occurring in the world, that more and more people are educating themselves/others on these topics. This specific systemic injustice diary discusses content about the discrimination and inequality against Indian Muslims.
It is not strange to hear about racism and hate crimes against Muslims. However, it is a little dumbfounding to hear about it when it is committed by your own country. Indian Muslims make up the largest minority group in India, which is heavily dominated by Hindus. With over two hundred and nine million people living in the country, Indian Muslims are the second-largest community. Despite how easy and how often it is randomly run into an Indian Muslim, they are the only ones not welcome in their own country. For years and years, Indian Muslims have faced great quantities of discrimination and racial injustice. If the hate were to be specified, Indian Muslims experience it the most in their education and employment. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is such an advocate of Hindu nationalism that it fueled Indian citizens to attack Muslims, their homes, schools, workplaces, and even sacred places of worship.
For as long as history can be remembered, there has been hatred against Indian Muslims living in India. We were harassed, beaten, and often killed because of our religious choices.
Many generations later, the hate has fueled the discrimination into being denied the right of livelihood. The injustice has become so noticeable that other countries felt the need to discuss Modi and his government’s extreme discrimination against Indian Muslims. Ever since 2014, when Narendra Modi’s BJP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was elected, Indian Muslims have been in constant danger. They practically have no one to turn to for support, nor are they allowed to call their birthplace their home.
In February of the year 2020, where hate had taken a hold of the entire world, a video had resurfaced of five men subject to police brutality because they had taken part in peaceful protests against ethnic tensions. Three days after the video had come out, the news was filled with how a minimum of 52 people had been brutally killed, 200 people injured, and many properties were completely destroyed by Hindu assemblages. Which people were most affected? Indian Muslims, to no shock, but there were Hindu casualties as well. Modi’s eccentric nationalism and how it is completely supported by the BJP was one of the major reasons the protests had started in the first place. It didn’t matter who was protesting against the ethnic/communal tensions, Modi and BJP have irrational hate against the idea of Indian Muslims. The BJP constantly makes speeches directly speaking against Indian Muslims, practically encouraging acts of violence against them. Whether it be women, students, travelers, children, no one is provided political protection from the ruling BJP. Indian Muslims are left to fend for themselves and it is very common to not see the police/government stop grievous attacks against Muslims.
This is a link of The New York Times finding out the truth of how Modi and the BJP view Muslims and two short interviews with officials: https://youtu.be/7yCUIZVMVZQ.
For many years, Indian Muslims have experienced much hate and discrimination against them from their own country. It is baffling to see their own government systematically encouraging their citizens to commit hate crimes against such a large community in India. The injustice has become so noticeable that other countries felt the need to discuss Modi’s and his government’s extreme discrimination against Indian Muslims. The only way for all of this to be righted is for the radical nationalists to step down from their positions of power. More integration of Muslim people in the government and powerful positions would be required to try to balance the power play. Indian Muslims would need much more than a promise of their unalienable rights to even start believing their country is truly their home.
I really appreciate the insight that systematic injustice can creep into the prejudices and how people think about other people. The systematic injustice outlined in the blog is certainly an issue that needs to be acknowledged. The support of the silent majority who may think that the injustice is wrong, but them not making an effort to resolve the issue in turn helps the status quo.