The reported profiling of mosques and mosque management committees in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is yet another troubling chapter in the systematic erosion of fundamental rights in the occupied territory.
The forcible collection of personal, financial and sectarian details of religious institutions and clergy is not a benign administrative exercise, it is a coercive attempt to intimidate, marginalise and control a besieged population through surveillance of its faith.
By demanding sensitive information ranging from Aadhaar details and bank accounts to social media activity and sectarian affiliation, the authorities have crossed a dangerous line. Such actions constitute a blatant intrusion into religious affairs and a grave violation of the right to freedom of religion and belief. They foster fear among worshippers, stigmatise religious leadership and obstruct free exercise of faith. This episode cannot be viewed in isolation. It reflects a broader and deeply worrying pattern of institutionalised Islamophobia driven by the Hindutva ideology that now dominates India’s political landscape. In IIOJK, extraordinary laws, prolonged militarisation and administrative overreach have normalised collective punishment and routine humiliation of the Muslim population. The selective targeting of mosques and seminaries lays bare the discriminatory and communal character of these policies.
Equally alarming is that this climate of intolerance is not confined to the occupied territory. Across India, Hindutva extremists have increasingly targeted Muslims and other minorities through hate campaigns, mob violence, discriminatory laws and oppressive state practices. The international community can no longer afford indifference. Credible reports, including warnings from United Nations experts, underscore the seriousness of human rights violations in IIOJK and deteriorating condition of minorities within India. Silence in the face of such abuses only emboldens perpetrators and deepens impunity. Global capitals, human rights bodies and influential states must take notice and speak out against these violations, pressing for accountability and protection of fundamental freedoms. For peace and stability in South Asia, resolving Jammu and Kashmir dispute is imperative. The world especially the United States must play a constructive role in facilitating a just and lasting resolution in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiri people and relevant UN resolutions.
