Congress cannot digest the fact that Muslim nations support me,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in a fiery speech last December, when his government was facing nationwide protests led by Muslims against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. “They feel if the world’s Muslim countries love Modi so much, how will we create fear about him among Indian Muslims.” Modi added.
This was before riots would break out in Delhi.
Modi has repeatedly brandished his good relations with the Gulf countries to underscore the point that his anti-Muslim image was a domestic political conspiracy. He emphasised that India has “the best ever relations with Gulf countries in its history” and that the Maldives and Bahrain have bestowed their highest honours on him.
Do Muslim majority countries really ‘love Modi’? The real picture, however, is far more unflattering, to put it mildly.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeting about the Delhi riots may not bother Modi, but rebuke from Iran, Turkey and protests in Bangladesh may trigger a rethink.
If we look closely, there is a pattern in Muslim majority countries’ relations with Modi’s India.
The Muslim majority countries, which are relatively democratic, or at least where foreign policy is responsive to public opinion, have taken a clear stand against Modi’s perceived anti-Muslim policies. The more autocratic countries, which have more room to manoeuvre in terms of purely pursuing strategic interests, and ignoring Modi’s human rights record, have chosen to either stay silent or actively fete Modi.
Also read: Stop massacre of Muslims, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei tells India
Criticism of long-standing partners
In fact, in many parts of the Muslim world, Modi appears to be the most intensely disliked Indian Prime Minister ever. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted Thursday: “The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam.” This denunciation (highlighted with the hashtag #IndianMuslimslnDanger) came on the heels of Iranian Foreign Minister Zawad Jarif castigating “organized violence against Indian Muslims” and an Iranian newspaper front page painting Modi as the “butcher of Delhi”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the same phrase “widespread..massacre of Muslims” to condemn the Delhi riots. And last month, Erdogan explicitly sided with Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir while addressing a joint session of the Pakistani Parliament. The Turkish strongman reminded his Pakistani interlocutors how Turkey had raised the Kashmir issue in the General Assembly in the wake of Article 370 nullification, and held ‘unilateral steps’ as responsible for the ‘suffering of the Kashmiri people’ — a barely veiled criticism of India.
Earlier, Malyasian PM Mahathir Mohamed questioned the necessity of the CAA, claiming ‘people are dying’ because of it. This was part of an extended altercation which started with Mahathir slamming India’s Article 370 move by declaring that India had “invaded and occupied” Kashmir. This prompted a diplomatic spat in which India drastically cut down Malaysian palm imports but Mahathir stuck to his guns. The Malaysian PM vowed to keep speaking out against ‘wrong things’ even if it means financial loss.
The usually reticent Indonesian government also joined in by expressing “concerns” over the riots to New Delhi, as “anger mounts in the predominantly Muslim country over what local Islamic groups say is anti-Muslim violence in India,” according to the Jakarta Post.
Even Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, one of Modi’s closest allies in South Asia, felt obligated to rebuke the Indian government by terming the CAA as “unnecessary”.
What is perplexing, therefore, is not the Gulf monarchies’ celebration of Modi (they celebrate US President Donald Trump even more) but the criticism of these long-standing partners. India has historically had good relations with all these countries. Former diplomat M.K. Bhadrakumar reacted to Khamenei’s tweet by terming the confrontation as a “serious rift”, and pointing out that “in 1994, it was Iran who helped India to beat back an OIC resolution on Kashmir at the UNHRC”.
Also read: MEA summons Iranian Ambassador over foreign minister’s remarks on Delhi communal riots
A fast-changing image
Professor Raymond Hinnebusch writes in his book The International Politics of the Middle East: “In the Middle East public opinion normally plays little direct role in foreign policy formulation, which is the special business of top elites.” This is because in the Gulf States “political opposition is typically repressed and press controlled” and people are “inattentive and uninformed” and extremely dependent on the patronage of the oil-rich states.
It is hard to accurately gauge Arab public opinion on Modi, but if one barometer is the coverage of Al Jazeera, the portrait is increasingly dismal. So, it is almost certainly not the case of these countries ‘loving Modi so much’, rather it is the case of their regimes humouring Modi, probably in the face of adverse public opinion, for strategic trade and economic interests.
In contrast, the Iranian regime is hard-pressed to provide jobs and basic services to its people, especially under punishing US sanctions. So, the Iranian regime is much more sensitive to domestic public opinion, and draws its legitimacy from being seen domestically as a regional hegemon striving for justice in the Muslim world. This also explains why Iran has staunchly maintained its hard-line stance on Israel, even as its Gulf neighbours have warmed up to the Jewish state.
Also read: ISIS now using viral image of Muslim man beaten up in Delhi riots to call for ‘retaliation’
Similarly, Turkey under Erdogan has nursed its neo-Ottoman dreams of springing back to the centre of the Muslim world, a grand protector of the ‘Muslim ummah’. Therefore, Erdogan feels compelled to speak out against injustices to Muslim populations, from Palestine to Egypt to India.
Malaysia and Indonesia are relatively free countries where foreign policy, of necessity, has to reflect public opinion, if for nothing else than to shore up the public image of the incumbent.
It would be safe to say that the perception of the ‘Muslim ummah’ of India under Modi is increasingly of a country rife with anti-Muslim prejudice and violence. This image is perhaps not yet as starkly negative as that of Israel, thanks to deep-rooted cultural and historical ties, but that accumulated goodwill is steadily tapering off in many countries. Unless a thorough course correction is undertaken, instead of petty knee-jerk reactions, it would not only mean the fraying of enduring relationships, but also the evisceration of India’s image as a beacon of pluralism and democracy of the global south.
The author is a research associate at the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi. Views are personal.
Pehla khud ko secular bana le phir india ke PM ko lecture de
Try hard .
Anyways 2 rupees enough for this kind of desperate cr@p.
Democracy in Muslim countries is wasted project. Only beneficiaries of democracy in Muslim countries are fundamentalists. It was sabotage of Secular Turkey by EU, which tangled memebership to EU to Turkey to force it to remove Ban on Hijab, Niqab and allow fundamentalists enabled people like Erdogan to come to power.
Talking about democracy etc. after Arab spring, Obama quickly corrected his course, once he saw Muslim Brotherhood taking over Egypt. and not oppose Sisi. Right way to handle Muslims is communist way. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan etc. should be role model to deal with Muslims. China is doing the same.
Unlike Buddhist, Hindu fundamentalism, Muslim fundamentalism is not a local threat, but global one.. So Muslims should be suppressed globally by enlightened Muslim & non-Muslim leadership world over until they start acknowledging the rights of other faiths.
We can see visible hypocrisy of Muslim welcoming Hagia Sofia becoming mosque again but opposing Rama Mandir.
really if modi wasent there me as a outsider would never had realised that hindus are such savages
Who gives a damn about your opinion? Bulk of Indians don’t.
I have lived with them my family doesn’t feel safe there my sister has to cover her face before going anywhere she really feel insecure there but now we have sold that house at a very low price to a muslim and now we bought a new house and we are happy there the most common there was whenever we used to put diya outside then someone comes and spits in the diya
Democracy and secularism, liberal values, Human rights is not the burden of majority hindu community in India. It applies to ALL…Other countries have no right to talk about India’s internal issues….Why can’t OIC countries be secular and consider religion as just a personal belief and not mix religion with politics and nationalism.?..Why its ONLY India to be lectured on human rights and secularism….This where many liberals can’t convince the majority community …
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AGREED 100%
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India needs lectures because even after being the largest so called democracy in the world ………..It has become a dictators rule under Modi. The so called secular country is no more…..Yes the issues in India are the internal, but when the minorities do not get justice from its own government/court then they have look outside, and thats when all the muslim countries come in……
Most of the muslim countries have sharia law which so perfect that it leaves above the Indian democracy…….Thats why most of the muslim countries are so peaceful
Excuse me please.
Not all islamic countries support Modi.
But You see sir/mam, the best ones do. for example you can take the whole members of the UAE. Also I must suggest you that Iran and Malaysia are under the pressure of China’s investments. We dont need the investments of such countries in our economy right now. So I guess you are proved wrong in 2 sentences.q
No you are wrong the best ones are also against Modi after the Delhi Roits …………Educate yourself……….Because the atrocities that are happening against the muslim in India under BJP rule will not be accepted by Muslim countries
As far as my understanding goes the author spoke his mind for betterment of the perception of Indian political system. As we should isolate Pakistan in international arena. The secular Modi image is essential. As currently Indian polity cannot be surrendered to dynasts or leaders with narrow communitarian basis.Unless a Kwejriwal rises up to the occasion we have to do with Modi. After all a true Indian cannot throw the nations to ‘Ultra Saffron Goons’ who are equally harmful for the nation as ‘Sharia Law ‘.
Enough of Nehruji’s Secularism with all my due respect to the great statesman,we have emerged and failed as a nation because of his prescription. We need to be true to our conscience while having a list of real citizens.At least likes of Abdul Majid killer of Banga Bandhu wouldn’t be hiding in shady haunts of India. Nor would we deny minority Christian, Buddhists, Shiks ,Jains,hindus and even atheists citizens from refuge in our soil.Those who are tortured, ravaged and traumatized as our Islamic brethrens were tortured in Delhi. Even we should take away the tool of appeasement from the hands of diplomatic leaders and manipulative hazoors and ulemas .Rather empower our minority brothers.
Mr Asim Ali: Please write similar articles in the news papers of Islamic countries and advice them to move their status fro Islamic republics to Secular democratic republics. Thieves should stop advising police on thefts. Come on grow up, you have have grown up without brains and without cultural assimilation and playing victimhood.
Shekhar Gupta owned website who is an accused of bribery in Augusta Westland scam chargesheet
The author is too clever unfortunately against his own mother land.
Firstly he discounted and derided those Muslim countries which are silent are supported India.
In fact he called them dictatorship not in tune with their people.
And the countries which are against his motherland??? Are shining lights of progress and we’ll wishers of India now turned away by ugly Indians Hindus.
Truth
Malaysia has a legal system in place which firmly against non Muslims.
Iran
They would have killed the Shaheen Bagh protesters in their own country .there are women in jail for not covering their hair.
Indonasea
They sent a warship to capture Andaman Islands when India was busy fighting Pak to protect Bangla Muslims.
India if goes after these friendships will become weak and repeat the terrible mistakes of Nehru.
We will get their respect if we are united.
Venemous people this author are working adainst and our interest.
Good article an eye opener for Bhakts
Total Bakvas. Fanatic extremists howling ravens don,t know the meaning of democracy despite getting more and better privileges and consideration at every nook and corner of veery street in the country. They should live with discipline and without being stooges of foreign powers hostile to Indi.This does not apply to some sections of the community who realize their responsibilities.
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Our own dirty media is supporting the cause of Islamization of the nation, it is quiet natural for the other Muslim countries to criticise Modi. Our media has sold themselves for a few crores and also the nation. After Modi came to power they have shed their morality, ethics etc., to please the Italian madam, who was feeding these media Dogs at the cost of the exchequer andthe nation.
Is it important what they think? As I can see, it is the hindu in india which is the threatened and ‘marked for deletion’ category. No one ever speaks in support of the hindu.
The Print has sold itself to Islamic fanatics, pretending all the while that only Muslims are the alleged victims, what many many more Hindus have been butchered by the mullahs. Erdogan is even more vicious than the most poisonous snake. Iran is like the Devil quoting the scriptures. And Malaysia is giving shelter to terrorists! Have they ever condemned the forced exodus of the Kashmiri pandits or the butchery of three million Bengali Hindus in 1971.
These Muslim Countries talk about Muslims only without studying or ascertaining the fact. How many Hindus were killed or property burned in Delhi riot? Why these Muslim Countries are talking for Muslims only. Are those Hindus not Human being for Muslim Countries. Relation and respect should be on equal footing, and not based on religion. Islamic countries lack in that quality, as they understand only one word Islam. India should not submit under such Islamic Country’s tatics. Then who will talk for and look after Hindus. The present Opposition!. They will sell out Indian Hindus for their exestance, and a day will come India will be a Islamic State.
Not a single Indian love Muslim Country leaders. ,
Leaders of Islamic countries talking about tolerance is a joke. Let them look inwards and see how tolerant they are. They all have the most pathetic record of human rights. The less we discuss about these Islamic countries, the better. Shame on the author to try and peddle this anti Modi narrative. Shows his mindset.
So be it. Enough of Muslim appeasement.
The name (of the author) is Asam Ali) what else can you expext
Iran,Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the leading lights of the religious tolerance and champions of human rights. The out standing treatments of the non- Khomeini followers, the Kurds, the non-sons of the soils, the non-Muslims is some thing the Modi must learn to endear himself to the leaders of these countries. Wonder if Mr. Asim Ali would like that to happen. He would not last a few minutes in these countries if he were to exercise the freedom of expression in these countries which he cherishes.
They would have Asim Ali barbecued .tandoored and serve him for lunch as a briyani .look who is criticising modi .once the 2 child norm with danger or losing citizenship if u have a third child then these countries will hate him .the fellows can’t believe a country can be exclusively for non Muslims and Hindus in particular kind rgds
muslim countries will never like india and modi -gulf countries may show that they do but they are shrewed business man and look at india in a business angle –
Churchill had predicted dogs ruling india in fifty years , doesnt doesnt differ much in usa with trump
Asim Ali has conveniently omitted India’s name in the list of countries whose Muslims hate Modi. In fact in terms of numbers India will leave far behind any other country whose Muslims population hate Modi. In this hate project all leftists, librandus and secularists have participated and played their share of roles.
Muslims ,by nature & mindset ,are & will be hostile to anyone or any civilization that dares to stand up to islamic hoodlumism
Really bakwas likhne ke lye bahut time hein. And salute to print media bakwas chapne ke liye
Yes Muslim countries won’t like CAA, basically because they wanted to push their population through our naiboring countries in the name of our Constitution and secularism etc etc followed by us, for the reasons best known to them. Hope things are clear. Let’s not treat this society as a previlaged one. Put the nation first.
How much do you know them.. my elders told me if you want to know gold scratch it on stone . And if you want to know people, you should live with them, before you judge them.. so my advice is.. please live in a muslim neighborhood, at least for 6 months.. and try to know what their religion tells as well..
He would want to live among Muslims in Pakistan, which was once part of India. But they don’t want non-Muslims, unless you can use your enormous persuasion ability to help him get the immigation there.
So do you think this whole CAA thing is good?
because muslim countries dont know the Muslims of india
Atleast someone understands something. Its not like everyone hates muslims in India so stop creating discord by writing such bullshit articles. The recent riots were because of political instigation which has been carried out since the initiation of CAB and now CAA. In the riots people from both communities died so we should vouch for peace between both the communities not to create discord by inciting them. As for Iran, Turkey and other hypocrites likes Malaysia, people who consider them knowledgable by quoting these examples are utmost foolosh ones. Can’t they even see that they don’t even care about minorities in their own country and try to lecture others over it.
What you know about Delhi riot, this was a planned massacre of muslims, 19 mosques are demolished,
Give me one video or pic in which Hindu temple is harmed or a Hindu guy is beaten up, I can give you 100 of videos and pics. Can you???
You haven’t seen the videos of the mob attacking Hindus from the terrace of Tahir Hussain’s house? What about the report on attacks on Hindu owned schools? See “Anger towards ‘other side’ echoes in Hindu-dominated areas of riot-hit Northeast Delhi” in theprint itself. Both sides have played hell. Recognising this is prerequisite for reconciliation.
We all know the reality of the Islamic world,sultan,Amir, and Ayatollah rule over the hypochondriac, hysterical, xenophobic mass.Dictators drug people with dreams of a non existent paradise.Brutally butchering the non Islamic ones.Their opinion don’t count at all for compassionate Indians.
May we have an article on the status of minorities in Turkey, Iran and Malaysia? It might be instructive for you.
Do you know minority control 70% of Malaysia economy?
The More I read articles by muslims and the more I see how they r behaving post CAA betrays their unsaid, and now increasingly opined, view about they being diff than other Indians and their pervasive need to be molycoddled.
The germ of religious partition of india was only dormant and is increasingly reviving in, if not so much in physical terms, muslim mindset. I still believe and know, there are millions of indian muslims who r indians first, Muslim later. However, each passing day, shows, either they r waning and sidelined in public perceptions . The devil of “muslim ummah”.
For Islamists, To foist narrow bigotry is a good currency of religious freedom, however, if others exert on reaction then is not acceptable. Readers of history, will find uncanny parallels with khilafat movement post ww-1 in india. Challenge is for indian muslims to vigorously oppose this perpetual victimhood mindset and preserve india.
The demographic bomb is all set to explode within a generation or two. 100 yrs post partition, islamism is bound to physically exert in india, telltale signs r all over. Pockets and ghettos of segregation would abound. I see very little hope. Islamism is a virus , far deadlier than Corona, I daresay, it just jumps hosts.
Can’t see islamists living peacefully or letting others live peacefully. Haven’t found even one exception throughout their history of 1400 yrs in any part of world, esp when they have numbers to exert.
It is possible for muslim family to live among majority Hindus, but absolutely impossible for muslims to let hindus/any other live peacefully when they r dominant. Go to hinterland, this is FACT, liberal media can and will remain an ostrich.
It’s not liberal media but biased media. There is probably no unbiased and liberal media in India, especially the English ones.
Shekhar Gupta will never want to apply burnol to his burns. Instead he keeps scratching it.
“The Muslim majority countries, which are relatively democratic, or at least where foreign policy is responsive to public opinion”
The above statement itself exposes the filth that the writer wants to propagate.
Please inform your readers what was the stand of your darling chosen countries towards India in 1965 and 1971 when India was (1) ruled by the your Darling congress party ( not Modi or Modi like ) . (2) India was facing war thrust on her by Sunny majorly Islamic country named Pakistan . Have these muslim countries ever been friendly towards India ? Iran keeps on ventilating on and off depending upon it gets upset from western powers– particularly from USA . It is surprising that so-called secularists Media persons in India start parroting the views of the press from Islamabad or Karachi . Stop this . Do research on international affairs of India of the post 1950 . There is historical continuity in many trends .Grasp them and then report and write. You are not writing article for Leftists or Muslim readers of JNU ,AMU or JU. you write for vast spectrum of people. While writing on topics like foreign policy , international relations, do keep in mind the interests of India as nation, not as India of any Ruling party or person. The articles you write should be informative not political propaganda of any dethroned opposition party .
How much is paid for this news? Who paid,? What is the intention of this?
10 lakhs per a post?
Islamists are financing ThePrint.
Yes, there is a pattern. That is that those nations are all fanatically islamist and near jihadist!. They allow hardly any facilities or freedoms for people of other faiths, but are quick to defend jihadis and the most banal versions of Islam. No wonder and no great loss to Modi or India!
Moslems who are practicing Mud’rat (or deception for for strategic, tactical or temporary reasons as instructed by Mahomet (“the prophet) in Quran and Hadith) are pretending not to hate Modi. Hate of non Moslems is as per the commands of Quran and Hadith aka Islam:, As for Iran: Iran has veered away from India towards China and natural foe Pakistan as India upheld US sanctions against Iran
Iran is dictatorship & is a islamic country.out of 56 muslim majority countries how many r secular Mr Ali?0.dont give sermons on secularism to us.indian govt is elected by 100 crores hindus who dont give a damn to what turkey,iran,Malaysia or a bangladesh think.our parliament is elected by indians & not foreigners.Oic is a toothless body its resolutions r like a fart to india.samjhe Mr Asim ali?
Indian can never deny the facts published by the international media about the cruelty India has started in capital. They already did in Gujarat, India will have to pay sooner or later. Riots are everywhere, such senseless government, RSS agents backed by police, Kashmir is in trouble, Punjab is in trouble,
Still they want peace by depressing the humanity at all.
It is just ridiculous, the silence of other nations.