Mass Dismissal of 114 Muslim Employees at an Indian Shrine Exposes Rising Institutional Islamophobia

Mass Dismissal of 114 Muslim Employees at an Indian Shrine Exposes Rising Institutional Islamophobia

In a shocking incident reflecting the growing trend of institutional Islamophobia in India, 114 Muslim employees were simultaneously dismissed from the “Shani Shingnapur” temple in Maharashtra, under pressure from extremist groups linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, on the pretext of “offending religious sentiments.” This decision, which has sparked widespread outrage, affected employees who had worked for years in simple service roles such as managing incense burners and cleaning the worship platform. However, their presence suddenly became “unacceptable” merely because they were Muslims, marking a severe setback to the principles of citizenship and equality before the law.

According to local reports, the Muslim workers were forced to leave their jobs without prior notice, while discrimination reached more blatant levels in the nearby village of Guha, where a historic Islamic shrine was forcibly converted into a Hindu temple, statues were erected, and fines were imposed on any attempts to express sympathy for Muslims.

This development comes amid official silence and clear complicity from the authorities, as the state government led by Devendra Fadnavis refused to intervene to stop the violation, despite mediation and calming efforts by prominent figures such as Tushar Gandhi. Meanwhile, some officials made remarks described as inflammatory, contributing to the fueling of sectarian hatred.

Observers warn that what happened at “Shani Shingnapur” is not just an isolated incident, but represents an advanced stage in the systematic targeting of Muslims in India, where religion is being politicized and turned into a tool for exclusion and discrimination under the guise of “protecting sanctities,” used to justify soft religious cleansing policies.

Human rights organizations demand that the Indian government take immediate action to reinstate the employees to their jobs and stop the ongoing violations against the Muslim minority, which comprises over 200 million people who are now living under an escalating daily threat to their basic rights.