By Muslim Mirror
New Delhi : Israeli professor and renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari has expressed his concerns over hate campaign against Indian Muslims who are being blamed for the spread of Covid-19. In an interview with Rahul Kanwal, News Director at India Today, he said, “I was very worried about some stories I heard that some people are blaming the epidemic on the Muslim minority even saying that it is a deliberate act of terrorism, which is complete nonsense, which is completely dangerous”.
India has witnessed a rise in hatred against Muslims after a section of the media apparently misrepresented the incident of Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat after some of its members were affected with Covid-19 due to attending a congregation organised in Nizamuddin area of New Delhi in March. This has also resulted in the social boycott of Muslims leading to a few deaths.
Commenting on the issue, Harari said, “In this time we don’t need more hatred. We need solidarity. We need love between people.” He further said that Indian citizens could connect to the best in their own communal and religious traditions and overcome “inner demons of hatred and greed”.
Taking notice of the issue, Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind has moved the Indian Supreme Court. However, while hearing the matter the court on 13 April refused to issue orders against the media and posted the case for next hearing after two weeks.
In the interview, Harari also indicated that India was not well equipped to fight the Covid-19 epidemic. “India faces an enormous challenge. Because it is much poor. [Like] the United States, Germany and Japan it doesn’t have the same kind of resources.”
During the previous epidemics India was very hard hit, Harari said. He added that in the Spanish flu of 1918-19 India was the “hardest hit-country” and it was estimated that up to 5 per cent of India’s population died in the Spanish flu.