'Fabricating Imaginative Narratives': India Hits Out At Pakistan's Islamophobia Claims At UN | WATCH

New Delhi: Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered a sharp rebuke on Monday against the ‘weaponization’ of religious identity for political gain. 

In a direct challenge to Pakistan’s narrative on Islamophobia, the Ambassador critiqued the practice of exploiting faith-based issues to serve narrow political agendas on the global stage.

Treatment of Ahmadiyya community

In a pointed critique, Parvathaneni challenged the assembly to categorize the specific human rights record of the neighboring state, questioning how the systemic repression of the Ahmadiyya community and the forced return of Afghan refugees could be justified.

He further highlighted the hypocrisy of conducting intensive military operations during the holy month of Ramadan, suggesting these actions contradict the very religious protections they claim to champion.

"India's western neighbour is an excellent example of fabricating imaginative tales of Islamophobia in their neighbourhood," he said.

"One wonders what would brutal repression of Ahmadiyyas in this country be termed, or the large-scale refoulement of the helpless Afghans or air-bombing campaigns in this Holy Month of Ramadan?" he said.

Home to over 200 million Muslims

Parvathaneni highlighted that India is home to over 200 million Muslims, constituting one of the largest Muslim populations globally, and underscored that these citizens are fully integrated into the nation’s democratic fabric. 

He pointed to their active and complete participation in India's political and social processes as a testament to the country's inclusive pluralism.

"The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which our western neighbour has systematically attempted to weaponise against India, has repeatedly made false and baseless allegations against my country," he added. 

"Muslims in India, including those in Jammu and Kashmir, elect their own representatives to speak for them," he further said.

He argued that narratives portraying India as hostile to Muslims contradict the country's multicultural traditions. 

"The only 'phobia' evident here appears to be directed against the multicultural and peaceful coexistence that all communities in India enjoy, including Muslim communities," he said. 

Concluding his statement, the Indian envoy reaffirmed India's commitment to combating religious intolerance globally. 

"India reaffirms its commitment to a world free from religious hatred and violence, in all its forms," he said, urging the UN to focus its efforts on building inclusive societies grounded in equality, dignity, and the rule of law for people of all faiths.

India’s firm condemnation 

Furthermore, he also called for a broader global approach to tackling religious discrimination, cautioning against focusing on a single faith while addressing the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Parvathaneni reaffirmed India’s firm condemnation of religious violence and hatred. He highlighted the nation’s deep-rooted heritage of pluralism, emphasizing a long-standing tradition of peaceful religious coexistence.

"My delegation strongly condemns violence and hatred in the name of religion, regardless of the religion under question," Parvathaneni said, extending greetings for the holy month of Ramadan while joining UN members in commemorating the observance.

"India, more than any other country, is acutely aware of the need for a world free from religious discrimination," he said, adding that the philosophy of "Sarva Dharma Sambhava," meaning equal respect for all religions, has shaped the secular ethos of the Indian Constitution.

Parvathaneni's warning

Parvathaneni warned that the politicisation of religion risks deepening divisions rather than resolving grievances. He urged the UN to approach religious intolerance through a universal framework rather than focusing on one specific form.

"History bears repeated witness to how the politicisation of religion does not solve and resolve grievances; however well-intentioned they risk lending legitimacy to precisely this kind of selective, polarising narratives that breed further division," he said.

The envoy emphasized that the United Nations was founded to rise above religious and political divides, noting that its credibility hinges on maintaining strict impartiality. 

He cited the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief as the definitive, balanced framework for protecting all faiths equally.

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