Hindus across India and the world are rallying against a surge of Muslim mob violence in Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country where the Hindu minority has long faced persecution. The recent outcry follows several brutal attacks on Hindu temples, homes, and businesses, inciting widespread fear and anger among the global Hindu community.
The violence in Bangladesh, which reignited last month, has drawn sharp criticism and sparked large-scale protests in various Indian cities, including Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The Indian government has condemned the attacks, calling on Bangladesh to take immediate and decisive action to protect its Hindu citizens. The situation has also led to protests outside Bangladeshi embassies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, where the Hindu diaspora has expressed solidarity with their brethren back home.
Finally Hindus of Bangladesh gathered and united against Muslims 💪.
It's time to fight back and teach Jihadis a lesson ⚔️.
Jai Shree Ram 🚩#Bangladeshindus#AllEyesOnBangladeshiHindus#HinduGenocideInBangladesh pic.twitter.com/mobahcpNAp
— Vishal Gautam (@NotASilentHindu) August 10, 2024
The most recent wave of violence began in mid-July in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh, where Hindu families were targeted following rumors that a Hindu man had posted offensive comments about Islam on social media. These unverified claims, spread quickly through social media and local mosques, led to mobs descending upon Hindu neighborhoods, setting fire to homes and temples. Videos of the attacks, widely circulated online, show Hindu women and children fleeing in terror as their homes are ransacked and torched.
The scale of the violence has shocked many, even in a country where religious minorities have often been subjected to persecution. According to local reports, over 100 Hindu homes were destroyed in the latest round of attacks, and dozens of temples were desecrated. The attacks have left several people injured, though official figures are difficult to verify as many victims are too afraid to come forward. The local Hindu community, which makes up less than 10% of Bangladesh's population, has expressed despair at the lack of protection from law enforcement, which has been criticized for its slow response and, in some cases, alleged complicity.
❗️🔥🇧🇩 – Hindu women cry for help as Muslims try to storm their home in Bangladesh.
Reportedly Over 500 Hindus have been killed, 100s of Hindu women r@ped, Dozens of Hindu temples have been burnt in ongoing attacks of terrorists of Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh.
All eyes on the… pic.twitter.com/yfzc8xK3FQ
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) August 5, 2024
In response to the escalating violence, the Indian government has stepped up diplomatic efforts, urging Bangladesh to protect its Hindu minority. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken with his Bangladeshi counterpart, expressing India's "deep concern" and emphasizing the need for immediate action to ensure the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also weighed in, highlighting the historical ties between the two countries and calling for an end to the violence.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condemned the attacks, pledging that those responsible will be brought to justice. However, critics argue that the government’s response has been insufficient, with many perpetrators still at large. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have urged the Bangladeshi authorities to take stronger measures to protect religious minorities and to hold those responsible for the violence accountable.
The violence in Bangladesh has also triggered a broader debate about the treatment of religious minorities in South Asia. Hindu leaders in India have pointed to the attacks as evidence of a growing intolerance towards non-Muslims in the region. They argue that the Indian government needs to take a more proactive stance in defending Hindus abroad, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, where they are increasingly vulnerable to mob violence.
The global Hindu community has responded with a wave of protests and online campaigns, drawing attention to the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh. Social media platforms have been flooded with messages of solidarity, using hashtags like #SaveBangladeshiHindus and #StopHinduGenocide. In the United States, Hindu American organizations have called on the Biden administration to pressure Bangladesh to take stronger action to protect its Hindu minority. Similar calls have been made in the United Kingdom and Canada, where Hindu leaders have urged their governments to address the issue at the international level.
Religious intolerance extends to America where hate speech and anti-immigrant rhetoric abounded under the Trump administration. Remember his Executive Order banning immigrants from 6 Islamic countries, a religious hatred. Remember the European nations who erected fences to keep out immigrants, Islamic or not, from Syria and the Middle East. Brexit was in part a rejection of widespread immigration acceptance from European countries where non-whites, certain religions, etc. were repulsed.
This is an intolerable situation worldwide because conservative and reactionary group don’t fear retaliation for words and acts against others of different religions, ethnicities and races. Shame on all those who profess religion and pursue rejectionist and hate policies including these riots and demonstrations of bigotry.