The government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath – a senior member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has named coronavirus hotspots after various mosques.
As per the details, eight out of 18 coronavirus hotspots in Lucknow have been named after mosques, which include Masjid Ali Jaan Cantonment, Mohammadi Masjid, Phoolbagh Masjid, Nazarbagh Masjid, Mohmmadiya Masjid, Pir Makka Masjid, Rajauli Masjid.
The decision comes as COVID-19 outbreak has seen a sudden spike in islamophobia in India, where Muslims are being singled out and blamed for the coronavirus spread in the country.
The Hindu-nationalist Narendra Modi led BJP government has directly and indirectly supported such anti-Muslim narratives on multiple occasions, whereas Indian media has also capitalized on the situation, further deepening the communal divide in the country.
“This is nothing but an attempt to create an impression that Muslims are behind the spread of Covid-19. Even today Tablighi Jamaat is shown as the major reason behind the surge in cases. When areas are not being named after temples or churches, why are they being named after mosques?” said one of the residents expressing serious concerns over the situation.
Prior to this, Sikh pilgrims have also been singled out and blamed for spreading coronavirus in the Indian state of Punjab.
In addition to it, Muslim patients are being segregated and treated separately in hospitals and people are being told to boycott Muslim vendors selling fruits and vegetables.
Last week, expressing its concerns over the increasing intolerance towards religious minorities, US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had criticized India and given it the ‘harshest rating’ since 2004 due to increasing marginalization of Muslims and other religious minorities in the country.
