Over 2,500 Muslims have been charged with “public order” offences in India for openly expressing their love of the Prophet Muhammed. During the last month, Indian police have reportedly raided homes and public spaces to arrest Muslim men suspected of writing “I Love Muhammed” on posters, t-shirts and social media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist party launched the blitz of prosecutions, which has seen some perpetrators’ homes bulldozed, to the end of clamping down on threats against “public order”.
At least 22 cases have been brought against over 2,500 Muslims in the South Asian country, with at least 40 arrested across states governed by the Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the non-profit Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) said. The slew of arrests was sparked by the erection of an illuminated board paying tribute to Muhammed while Muslims were observing Eid al-Milad al-Nabi, the celebration of his birth, in the city of Kanpur on September 4. Dozens were pursued on charges of promoting enmity on the grounds of religion in the historic region, an offence which carries a sentence of up to five years in jail.
The incident sparked backlash from prominent Muslim figures in India, with protests breaking out across the country, including in the northern city of Bareilly, where 75 demonstrators, including an iman, were taken into custody on September 26.
Buildings belonging to those accused of threatening “public order” were also bulldozed by local authorities, Al Jazeera reports.
While India’s constitution grants citizens a right to express freedom of religion, activists have argued that such rights have not always been afforded to Indian Muslims, hundreds of whom have lost their homes to similar demolitions, often without prior warning, in recent years.
Nadeem Khan, national coordinator of the ACPR, said officials were tactically clamping down on the “I Love Muhammed” slogan by pursuing suspects on non-religious charges.
“They know that there is no law that criminalises just the mere expression of ‘I Love Muhammed’,” he said. “Everyone should understand that the government cannot criminalise a religion like this.”
“Targeting people for slogans such as ‘I Love Muhammed’, which is peaceful and devoid of any incitement or threat, does not meet the threshold for criminal restriction under either Indian constitutional law or international human rights law,” Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International’s India board, added.
“Public order concerns must be addressed proportionately and cannot justify the blanket suppression of religious identity or expression. The role of the state is to safeguard rights equally, not to police expressions of belief. Upholding constitutional and international commitments is not optional; it is a legal obligation.”
The BJP has been contacted for comment.