By Saher Hiba Khan
When, on November 10, an i20 exploded and killed 13 people near the Red Fort area in New Delhi, it also blew open fissures in the country’s social fabric. While the nation collectively mourned, several people were quick on the draw to blame the attack on the Muslim community.
From online harassment to intimidation in their daily lives, Muslims have found themselves under attack from their own countrymen.
Muslims across many states, particularly students, have reported feeling increasingly uncomfortable and scared.
A Kashmiri Muslim student, who travelled to Delhi in September to prepare for his Phd entrance exam, shared his experience of the shifting atmosphere following the Red Fort blast.
“The atmosphere has genuinely changed after the Red Fort blast,” he said. “When I heard that the accused were mostly Kashmiri Muslims, I honestly felt a wave of tension. I could sense the rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmiri comments online, and it made me worry about how people around me might react.” Since then, he and others have been “keeping our heads down, avoiding crowded places, speaking less, and even thinking twice before speaking Kashmiri in public because we don’t want to draw unnecessary attention.”
Though he has not faced any confrontation, he noted “small passive-aggressive remarks, longer stares, and a general sense that people look at us with suspicion,” making everyday activities feel heavier.
“What hurts the most is seeing innocent Kashmiri Muslims being blamed for something they had no role in, and feeling the gap between communities quietly grow,” he added. The overall atmosphere, he concluded, has become uncomfortable, with many simply trying “to stay low-profile and get through our days without attracting any negativity.”
The student has wished to remain anonymous.
Hate As The New Normal?
When a doctor from Pulwana was implicated in the blast, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had condemned the Red Fort attack within hours of it taking place, also appeared to be anticipating discrimination against people from the Union Territory. “Not every Kashmiri Muslim is a terrorist,” the J&K CM asserted.
However, on social media, troll armies launched coordinated attacks on Indian Muslims and Kashmiris, including personal attacks, threats, and calls for collective blame.
Multiple social media users posted inflammatory remarks that intensified communal tensions. On X (formerly Twitter), blue-tick user @iamrajesheha wrote: “Well, the terrorists who caused this heinous incident (Delhi #RedFortBlast) are the Indian muslims & that too Doctors! So, how can someone not insult or point fingers towards the Muslims? In this whole world, if any terror attacks are happening, it’s all because of that 1 community.”
Another user, @GaneshJayabalan, added: “Bomb blast in Red Fort Blast 8 dead, many injured… Working here, Got better education, Living comfortably, But their religious mindset never changes.” An account named @51centurywhere wrote: “I blame this hawasi for today’s attack on Red Fort in Delhi. If Mahatma Gandhi had not allowed Muslims to enter India, this blast would not have happened today. #RedFort.”
This story was originally published in outlookindia.com. Read the full story here.