If Prime Minister had really taken the issue seriously he should openly reprimanded such elements who were indulging in hate campaign and disparaging the Arabian women. His remark did not reflect his worry about worsening of the relation between India and Arab world. What was worse he looked at the entire development from diplomatic perspective: “This Ramzan, we should pray more than ever before so that prior to the celebration of Id, the world is rid of corona and we celebrate Id with enthusiasm and gaiety like before,” Modi said in his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat.

The UAE authorities who have been awaiting serious action are shocked at his attitude. The anger was sparked at the discriminatory comments against Arab Muslims, fuelled by the narrative that they are spreading Covid-19. Social media users in the Arab world have in recent weeks called out throwing out Indians who are indulged in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab comments. Even some members of the Royal family have warned that Indians working in the wealthy country would be “fined and made to leave”.

Modi’s references to Ramzan prayers and Eid came amid sharp reactions from the Gulf countries to a social media campaign in India that has been blaming Muslims for the spread of the coronavirus. The people expected that he would rebuke such people. But it did not happen.

Modi’s passive attitude was shocking for the reason that Arab world has lent its full support to Modi in his fight against Pakistan. Modi has also won the highest civilian honour of Arab countries including UAE and Saudi Arabia. Air India is allowed to fly over Saudi Arabia to Israel. Despite Pakistan’s objection, India was invited to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation as an observer.

There has been an extraordinary swell in Arabs criticising the growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in India. Several prominent journalists, lawyers and activists in the Gulf region turned to social media to highlight what they describe as “ill treatment” of Muslims. They assert that any “assault” by the RSS – the BJP’s parent body – on Muslims is unacceptable and have labelled it a “terrorist” group that should be banned in the Gulf.

Islamophobia_in_India” has also started trending on Twitter in India. This sudden outpour of anger is because of the narrative that Muslims are spreading Covid-19 in India, with Hindu right-wingers linking the entire community to Tablighi Jamaat after a surge in infections following a gathering held by the group.

Modi recently tweeted that “Covid-19 does not see race or religion”, but this has done little to change the narrative. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has urged the Indian government to take steps to stop growing Islamophobia.

More than the RSS offensive against Muslims it is the passive attitude of Modi towards this issue that has hurt the Arab rulers. They nursed the view that Modi will become proactive and ensure that these elements did not damage the cultural and social fabric of the gulf countries. Some 8.9 million Indians work in Gulf countries and even a member of the UAE royal family has warned expats to watch their words

Princess Hend Al Qassimi’s statement made on Twitter on April 16, accompanied by a screenshot of a tweet by an Indian expatriate threatening “death to radical Islamic Tablighi terrorists” – a reference to the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, has castigated the Sangh elements for blaming the Muslims for the surge in Covid-19 cases in India.

Soon after, a 2015 tweet from Tejasvi Surya – a parliamentarian from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – saying 95 per cent of Arab women “have never had an orgasm in the last few hundred years” began to circulate online and was decried as being derogatory. After Dubai-based businesswoman Noora Al Ghurair pointed out that Surya had been disrespectful to women and warned him against “travelling to Arab lands”, he deleted the tweet.

UAE leaders are cut up with India and especially Modi for the reason that he has not bothered to care for the stance of the Arab world in not condemning its crackdown on the Muslim-dominated Kashmir region or even the attacks on Muslims under BJP rule since 2014.Also a civil campaign had been started to highlight the “malicious propaganda by BJP and the RSS against Muslims” and “to decrease business relations” with India.

The hate speech issue comes at a time when Delhi is negotiating with UAE officials who have been pushing for India to repatriate thousands of stranded citizens who have lost their jobs amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is really despicable that while the entire world is busy fighting the coronavirus, the RSS and the BJP continue playing the hate card against the 200 million-strong Muslim community in India. This hate campaign against Muslims spread from India to North America and Europe as well as into the Gulf, where almost five million Indians work and remit billions of dollars to their impoverished families back home.

It is a fact that business tycoons having stake in the Gulf region have always followed the agenda of hate against Muslims. Business and service sectors are dominated by nationalist Hindus based in oil-rich Gulf countries. Most of them are South Indians, Gujaratis and Mahrashtrians. The jewellery and diamond trade in the whole Middle East is controlled by Gujarati Hindus. They form the backbone of the RSS.

Every year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat holds a closed-door meeting with these Hindu business tycoons operating in Dubai, UAE and other Middle East countries. It has also been holding its Sakhas.

Meanwhile with the Arab rulers hardening their attitude against the hate mongers and making a move to throw such elements out of UAE, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has taken upon himself the task of soothing the relations. But he too has refused to be specific. He made a general statement on April 26. He did not condemn or decry such hate campaigns of the RSS and BJP supporters.

On Sunday, 26 April he cautioned against forces inimical to India's interests of taking advantage of the situation. But significantly, did not speak against the hate mongers. He asked Sangh members and country men to be on alert: "We have to be patient and calm. There should be no fear or anger as people with anti-India mindset can use it against the country". Some people want to misuse it. Obviously RSS chief said in reference to incidents involving Tablighi Jamaat members after it centre in Delhi emerged as a major coronavirus hotspot.

Instead of specifically addressing the victims he said: "All 130 crore Indians are our family. We are one". Instead of directing his cadres to behave, he said: "It was the responsibility of the administration to keep law and order in check.” He was however quick to say “there are "anti-India forces" who are waiting to use the pandemic to break the country.” He warned against “instigators” who incite “extremist activities”. (IPA Service)