Muslims in India are being stigmatized after the government blamed an Islamic missionary meeting for a surge in coronavirus cases.
FILE - In this March 31, 2020, file photo, Muslim pilgrims wait in bus that will take them to a quarantine facility, after a government raid discovered the largest viral cluster in India at the Nizamuddin area of New Delhi, India. Experts who have studied previous epidemics warn that the stigma could hamper efforts to stop the contagion and prevent many from getting themselves tested.
“Not only is the community at a higher risk of being infected, but they will also be at a high risk of spreading the virus,” said Dr. Anant Bhan, a bioethics and global health expert. “It becomes a cycle that will continue.” Politicians in Modi’s ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party were quoted on TV and in newspapers describing the Jamaat incident as “corona terrorism.”
In Uttarakhand, Hindu youths forced Muslim fruit vendors to stop selling. Shots were fired at a mosque in Gurugram, a suburb of New Delhi, and a Muslim family in the neighboring state of Haryana was attacked by neighbors who accused them of not turning off their lights on April 9, the night Modi had asked the country to extinguish household lights for 15 minutes in a show of national unity.
“It is actually causing increasing morbidity and mortality. Because of the stigma that is happening, many patients who have COVID-19 or who have flu-like symptoms are not coming forward,” he said.India’s 200 million Muslims account for 14% of the population and are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation and also the poorest, surviving on an average of 32.6 rupees per day, a 2013 government survey found.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
American among tourists found living in Indian cave during lockdownLocal police said the six spent nearly four weeks in the cave after running out of money for a hotel.
Read more »
An Indian organization wants to grow urban forests and transform the cities we live and work inMany organizations are aiming to increase the amount of green space in urban environments.
Read more »
Blamed For Coronavirus Outbreak, Muslims In India Come Under AttackIn India, Muslims have been accused of deliberately spreading the virus. Many say they have faced increased discrimination, harassment and attacks.
Read more »
Smithfield Foods sued over working conditions in Missouri, closes Illinois plantFaced with a lawsuit and numerous coronavirus infections, the company says it is 'proactively' suspending operations at one plant after being sued over working conditions at a different facility
Read more »
13.9% Of New Yorkers Test Positive For Coronavirus Antibodies—Still Not Enough To Foster Herd Immunity13.9% of people surveyed in New York tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies—but that's still far from what would be considered herd immunity from the pandemic
Read more »