Report Warns of Rising Sectarian Violence Against Muslims in India

Report Warns of Rising Sectarian Violence Against Muslims in India
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The latest issue of Al-Wa’i Magazine has highlighted a worrying surge in sectarian violence targeting Muslims across India during the summer of 2025, allegedly fueled by extremist Hindu groups and a growing atmosphere of intolerance linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to the magazine, attacks were concentrated in northern and central states, where mobs known as “cow vigilantes” assaulted and killed Muslims accused of eating or trading beef, which is considered sacred in Hinduism.

One particularly brutal incident in Haryana saw a 26-year-old Muslim man lynched in August after false rumors that he had consumed beef. Similar assaults were reported on Muslim train passengers, who were harassed and beaten during food checks.

The publication attributed the rise in violence to institutional and social Islamophobia since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, citing the role of pro-government media in spreading hate speech. It also pointed to incidents where authorities demolished Muslim homes with bulldozers as a form of “collective punishment.”

Discriminatory state laws, such as bans on hijab in schools and restrictions on halal slaughter, have further deepened Muslim marginalization. Human Rights Watch has warned that incendiary rhetoric by officials during election campaigns is intensifying polarization and sectarian tensions nationwide.