Two new newborn babies paid the heaviest price of coronavirus-related Islamophobia in India
Having been labeled as “virus spreaders,” Muslims in the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- about 200 million people in the 1.3 billion population -- are not only struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic but also hatred, proven more dangerous than any virus so far.
Two new newborn babies paid the heaviest price of coronavirus-related Islamophobia in India, a new wave that has exacerbated an already dangerous climate for the country's Muslim minority.
Pregnant and bleeding, a 30-year-old Muslim woman suffered a miscarriage and gave birth to a stillborn after she was barred from receiving treatment in Jamshedpur's MGM Hospital.
In a similar event earlier this month, a baby died after a doctor at a government hospital in Rajasthan's Bharatpur reportedly refused to admit a Muslim mother.
A number of smear campaigns have emerged against Muslims across India since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Pro-government channels broadcasted fake videos claiming Muslims are spitting on people in order to spread the disease.
Many Muslims feel demonized and unfairly blamed for spreading the disease after a cluster emerged at a gathering of Muslim missionaries in New Delhi last month.
Sensational news coverage about the event, fanned by some Hindu nationalist politicians, helped spur the trending topic "Coronajihad" on social media, increasing physical and verbal warfare against Muslims.
The coronavirus disease that was first detected in Wuhan, China late last year has spread to 185 countries and regions. It has killed more than 165,000 people and infected over 2.4 million.
The U.S. is the worst-affected country with nearly 760,000 people testing positive, and 40,000-plus dying.
India has recorded 17,264 cases of the coronavirus so far, with 543 deaths as of Monday.
