Hate Crimes against Muslims and Increasing Islamophobia in India

Abstract

This article attempts to shed light on the issue of hate crimes against Muslims in India resulting in escalated incidents of Islamophobia. For a holistic understanding of the issue, the authors discussed political ideologies in India, social stratification in Indian society, social marginalization of Muslims, and the forms of social discrimination faced by Muslim community. In India, hostility between Hindus and Muslims increased day by day after the partition in 1947; hate crimes against Muslims reached its peak because of various sociopolitical, economic and religious factors. Muslim community confronts many challenges including multiple cases of assaults, murder, discrimination and harassment due to Islamophobia which predominantly prevails against Indian Muslims.