India for the last many decades has been enjoying very good
economic as well as diplomatic relations with the Arab world; a huge number of
Indians, over 7 million, are working in the Gulf states, and the trade ties with
UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have earned India the biggest chunk of
forex as well as prosperity. But, of late, these relations have been marred by
the extremist Hindu regime’s anti-Muslim tirades; ever since the Modi-led RSS-fueled
BJP has started state-sponsored persecution of Muslims in India. The Hindutva-committed
Modi regime is out “to Hinduize India, where Muslims are no longer safe”,
especially after the enactment of new Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that
denies Muslims and other minorities right of citizenship. The longest curfew in
Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, the hell unleashed on Kashmiris and the
persecution of Muslim population in other parts of India has not only agonized
the world community, but the people of Arab countries are also feeling its heat;
they have started questioning the very nature of their governments’ relationship
with New Delhi.
But what has added fuel to the fire, recently, are the highly derogatory and
insulting remarks made by a BJP MP, Tejasvi Surya, about the Arab women, which
has sparked widespread hatred among the Arabs against Modi and his ideology, and
their diplomatic and trade ties with New Delhi. Surya, a 29-year-old RSS Hindu
fanatic from India’s South Bengaluru, in a tweet said, “95% Arab women have
never had an orgasm in the last few hundred years! Every (Arab) mother has
produced kids as act of sex and not love.” Another ex-MP dragged in Iranian
women too, saying “hymenoplasty is increasing fast in Tehran…”
This is too much, something indigestible; the people of Arab countries,
especially women in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and other sister states, are
outraged over such derogatory and insulting remarks by none else but a
‘friendly’ country’s MP. Such a ‘friendly’ country that gets transferred every
year over $55 billion from the Gulf countries, and more than $120 billion
annually from all Muslim countries. ‘Friendly’ in a sense that Indians, mostly
Hindus, are treated well in the Arab states, as much as the Indians in UAE
constitute the largest part of its population: over 3,510,200 Indian migrants
are living in UAE, which is over 27% of the total population. In Kuwait 580,000
Indians are working while in Oman their number is 450,000. India’s business
tycoon, who ranks at 394 on the list, is the richest Indian expat living in UAE
with assets estimated over $4.9 billion.
“Is this the return of feeding the poor Indians, who have long been eating our
share of meal while living amongst us for the last many decades?”, question the
Arabs. “Isn’t it a backstabbing by our so called ‘friend’?” Swift reactions, in
the strongest terms started coming in from various Arab figures who demand from
PM Modi ‘punitive action’ against his MP. “Pity your upbringing @Tejasvi_Surya
that respect for women couldn’t be instilled you despite India having some great
female leaders. Please note if someday the govt bestows a foreign ministry to
you, avoid travelling to Arab lands. You are not welcome here. This would be
remembered”. These are the words of Noora Al-Ghurair, a Dubai-based
businesswoman, who now demands expulsion of Indians from the Gulf region,
because a number of RSS-influenced Hindus living in UAE and Kuwait are caught
spreading hate material on social media. Six of them have recently been
arrested.
Noora wrote in another tweet: “World is suffering from corona virus and India is
suffering from corona via RSS. Hindutva are flourishing all over Middle East.
They are persecuting and collecting extortion from Muslims in India. But no
Hindutva has been forced to pay Jazia or any protection money to Muslims. If
Muslims wanted, they could have easily extorted money from them but they
didn’t.” She added, “For too long RSS is working in Gulf spreading poison.
Interest to sell oil to India has emboldened coward Hindutva militants. All Arab
countries should ban Indian Cultural Centers in their capitals. They are
actually pits of anti-Muslim activities on front B/wood faces of SRK-AK-SK.”
Surya, who has been serving the BJP in multiple capacities including being an
active member of Akhil Baratiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and state spokesperson
of the YuvaMorcha and is currently playing active role in BJP’s national social
media team, had recently warned over the Indian Muslims’ Shaheen Bagh protest
against the CAA by saying that the Mughal raj would return if the “majority
(Hindu) community” was not “vigilant”. He called, “Islamofascism is [a] grave
threat to civilisation.” He is quite popular on social media, with more than
half a million followers on Twitter. He called upon the BJP to “really become a
Hindu party & not just be perceived as one.” In March 2019, he said people who
are not with Modi “are strengthening anti-India forces”. He opposes the idea of
women’s reservation in Parliament, which was part of BJP’s manifesto in 2014 and
2019.
Although he deleted his tweet on Arab women, yet its screenshot is still being
tagged. Mona Alarbash, a lawyer, says: “The Indian parliamentarian’s deletion of
this comment will not forget us of the heinous insult from it. We demand urgent
and immediate accountability from (Indian) parliament and the (Modi) government.
We the Arab Muslim women, are generational educators and directors of global
competencies. Mejeb-al-Shrika, from Kuwait Institute of Law and Legal Studies,
called upon the Indian PM for taking action against Surya. “@PMOIndia Respected
Prime minister @narendramodi India’s relation with the Arab world has been that
of mutual respect. Do you allow your parliamentarian to publicly humiliate our
women? We expect your urgent punitive action against @Tejasvi_Surya for his
disgraceful comment”, reads his tweet.
The outpouring of reaction doesn’t stop here. The royal families are also
expressing their resentment against it. Her Highness Princess Hend Al Qassimi,
said, “UAE law applies on nationals and non-nationals in terms of hate speech…
Anyone that is openly racist and discriminatory in the UAE will be fined and
made to leave.” She tweeted a screenshot of a law on hate speech that reads:
“…The law prohibits activities the government deems supportive of political or
extremist interpretations of Islam. These include the use of the internet or any
other electronic means to promote views the government believes insult
religions, promote sectarianism, damage national unity or the reputation of the
state, or harm public order and public morals. Punishments include imprisonment
and fines from 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) to one million dirhams ($272,000). In
August the government increased the penalties for electronic violations of the
law, including raising the maximum fine to four million dirhams ($1.09 million).
The law prohibits membership in groups the government designates as terrorist
organizations, with penalties up to life imprisonment and capital punishment.”
Although a strong criticism is being seen from saner elements in India, yet the
maniac Modi’s government has still not apologized over Surya’s remarks. “Today,
India stands embarrassed, humiliated”, said Congress leader Sanjay Jha, however,
the row on Twitter continues to trigger outrage amongst the Arabs. “Everyone is
disturbed with the death of pregnant elephant but none is concerned about the
hardships faced by SafooraZargar who is in a jail. She was arrested for
participating in anti-CAA protest.” And last but not the least: “Show me one
case of a Hindu being forced to chant anything by Muslims. These stories of
Muslims being lynched keep emanating and it is obvious that the terrorists
involved in this are supported by the (Indian) government, why else would this
continue?”
(The writer is a freelance columnist, based in Islamabad)