Press Release
India’s Rulers Wage War on Islam to Conceal their Blatant Failures
(Translated)

On December 27, 2024, The Telegraph reported that “The Satanic Verses by Sir Salman Rushdie returned to Indian bookstore shelves after 36 years, following the fatwa that forced him into hiding for nearly a decade.” It was claimed that the restocking occurred after government officials lost the original order banning the book’s import to India. In November 2024, the Delhi High Court ruled, “We have no choice but to assume that no such notification exists.” Consequently, India’s BJP-led government escalated its war on Islam by allowing the sale of a book filled with lies that fiercely attacks the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

India’s rulers assaultthe Deen, wealth, and honor of Muslims. The government has adopted policies that discriminate against Islam, encouraging its supporters to attack Muslims. The police's inaction has emboldened Hindu extremist groups to target Muslims. Several state governments have demolished Muslims’ homes, businesses, and mosques. Authorities carry out demolitions as collective punishment against Muslims for their dissent, labeling it “bulldozer justice.” The dignity of pious Muslim women is under threat as government supporters spread fear. Additionally, the authorities persecute Islamic advocates, including scholars and members of Hizb utTahrir.

India’s rulers wage war on Islam to obscure their glaring failures. Acting as agents of American colonialism, they impose poverty and insecurity on the people of India. According to the 2024 Global Hunger Index, India ranked 105th out of 127 countries with sufficient data. With a score of 27.3, India suffers from a severe hunger level. Despite the harm caused by American economic colonialism, India’s rulers have plunged the country into a costly and dangerous confrontation with China to serve U.S. interests in containing China.

India’s rulers act as agents of American colonialism, which is as devastating as British colonialism. From 1765 to 1938, Britain drained nearly $44.6 trillion from India, excluding debts imposed during colonial rule. This colossal sum is twelve times the UK’s 2024 nominal GDP of $3.588 trillion, according to IMF economic forecasts. During the latter half of the 19th century, at the height of British colonial plunder, India’s income halved, and tens of millions perished in famines caused by British policies.

India’s rulers oppose Islam, yet Islamic rule in India was a mercy compared to the stark injustices under British and American colonialism. During Islamic governance, South Asia’s share of the global economy was 23%, equal to that of Europe, rising to 27% in 1700. Centuries of Islamic rule brought prosperity and security to the region’s inhabitants, regardless of race or religion, earning their loyalty. In 1857, Hindus supported Muslims in fighting the colonizers to restore Islamic rule, rallying around Bahadur Shah Zafar. British colonizers incited sectarian hatred between Hindus and Muslims as part of their divide-and-rule strategy to maintain power. Today, following in the colonizers’ footsteps, India’s rulers also incite sectarian hatred to remain in power.

O People of India: We share your pain under the burden of colonialism and offer you a path to liberation through Islam. Reflect carefully on your history and the harm brought by the British and American colonialism, compared to the benefits Islam brought to your ancestors for centuries. Demand that Muslims be allowed to speak for the nation without fear of persecution or harassment, and you will find goodness in Islam, as your forebears did for generations.

The Central Media Office
of Hizb ut Tahrir