Bahrain lawmaker condemns violence against Muslims in India, threatens trade boycott

Bahraini lawmaker, Abdulrazzaq Hattab, has issued a scathing condemnation of India for the violence against Muslim which has increased in the country over the years, threatening to start a boycott of trade between the two countries.

In a speech he gave in Bahrain’s parliament recently, Hattab spoke against the deliberate targeting of Muslims by right-wing Hindu nationalists in India. “These practices are against international laws and Abrahamic religions, and also contradict with humanity and the country’s obligation to provide safety to its citizens and their freedom, regardless of their religion and beliefs,” he said.

State-sanctioned and vigilante actions against Muslims have increased significantly over the years under the current Indian government headed by President Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist support base. According to Hattab, that is especially seen in states like Assam and occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The lawmaker added that “we strongly stand with respect to Islam and the 150 million Muslims in India,” and announced that if attacks against Indian Muslims continue, “we will undergo severe action, including trade boycott.”

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Such a boycott is predicted to have a significant impact, as trade between Manama and New Delhi exceeds $105 billion annually.

Hattab also revealed that he and others “tried multiple times to meet with the Indian ambassador in Bahrain to send our message to his government; however, he was making unjustified excuses.”

The condemnation and the threat of a boycott by the Bahraini lawmaker come two months after Kuwaiti lawmakers also condemned atrocities committed against Muslims by India and Hindu extremists.

Both of those direct vocal condemnations are a stark contradiction to their neighbours’ stances in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia cooperating with Modi’s government by deporting Indians critical of New Delhi’s anti-Muslim register and conducting naval exercises with India. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also shares that stance, signing deals for infrastructure projects in occupied Kashmir.

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