File photo of the Babri Masjid demolition. Douglas Curran—AFP
Marking the 31st anniversary of the demolition of the historic Babri Masjid in India, Pakistan’s Foreign Office called on the international community to take cognizance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in its neighboring state.
Recalling that a mob of Hindu zealots had demolished the centuries-old mosque in Ayodhya in full view of Indian law enforcement authorities in December 1992, the Foreign Office said it was “lamentable” that India’s superior judiciary had subsequently acquitted the criminals responsible and allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque. “The temple is expected to be inaugurated in January 2024—months before the next general elections in India,” it added.
Constructed in Ayodhya in 1528 during the reign of India’s first Mughal ruler, Babur, the Babri Masjid was a source of contention, as Hindu scripture contends it was the site of the birthplace of god-king Ram. In the 1980s, Hindu and Muslim groups filed separate claims over the site and the structure, with the Allahabad High Court ordering the maintenance of the status quo in 1989.
In 1991, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in Uttar Pradesh, calls for the construction of a Ram temple grew, eventually leading to the destruction of the mosque at the hands of a Hindu mob.
“The anti-Muslim frenzy that caused the Babri Mosque’s destruction remains unabated,” said the Foreign Office. “A few weeks ago, the chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh publicly cited the mosque’s demolition as a template to reclaim parts of Pakistan,” it said, regretting that elements within India’s ruling party continued to incite hysteria and hatred against Muslims.
“Today, Hindu supremacist groups are demanding conversion of many other mosques into temples, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura. Several mosques and shrines have already been demolished under the garb of different administrative measures or judicial processes. Muslim holy sites also remain a target of attacks by the mobs of extremists,” it noted.
The statement concluded by calling on the Indian government to ensure the safety, security and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship.