Iran Places India Where Muslims 'Suffer'; "Unacceptable," Says Delhi (image @khamenei_ir)
Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, tied India with Gaza and Myanmar as places where Muslims are being tormented. India said Khamenei’s comments are “unacceptable” and “advised” Tehran to look at their own record in treating the minorities before making observations on others.
Taking to X, Khamenei said, “The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent with regard to our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah. We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place.”
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The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent with regard to our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah. We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) September 16, 2024
Hours later, the Ministry of External Affairs slammed the comment and released a statement named, “Statement on Unacceptable Comments made by the Supreme Leader of Iran.”
“We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These are misinformed and unacceptable. Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others,” read the statement.
Statement on Unacceptable Comments made by the Supreme Leader of Iran:https://t.co/Db94FGChaF pic.twitter.com/MpOFxtfuRO
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 16, 2024
This is not the first time Khamenei made a comment on India regarding the Muslim minority in the country. In March 2020, when the northeast Delhi riots sparked wide criticism, Khamenei called the riots a “massacre of Muslims” and asked India to confront “extremist Hindus and their parties” to prevent its “isolation from the world of Islam.”
“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,” he said.
He concluded his comment with the hashtag #IndianMuslimslnDanger.
Khamenei also voiced concern over the plight of Muslims in Kashmir when the Indian government revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. He said, ““We’re concerned about Muslims’ situation in Kashmir. We have good relations with India, but we expect the Indian government to adopt a just policy towards the noble people of Kashmir and prevent the oppression & bullying of Muslims in this region.”
Iran expressed concern during the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and 2002 Gujarat riots, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused of playing an active part in the violence, which killed hundreds of Muslims.
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On the other hand, India shares ties with Tehran, as the latter is the second-largest crude oil supplier to India. India is one of the largest foreign investors in Iran’s oil and gas industry. New Delhi and Teheran also share concerns about terror from Pakistan and Afghanistan and hope for the Chabahar port.
Chabahar Port is a project to which India has already committed heavy investments. The port is an important transit point for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. India has pledged $120 million for the development of the Shahid-Beheshti Port terminal and offered a $250 million credit line for infrastructure projects in Iran.
