Recently, there has been a lot of fake news and anti-Islamic rhetoric spreading on social media in India. This started right after the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attacked Israel on October 7.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in India sees Israel as a religious nation-state and they have been using this conflict to further their own interests.
Indian Support for Israel
The French newspaper Le Monde reported that Hindu nationalists wasted no time in exploiting the war in the region. The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posted a message on social media saying that, like Israel, India, had suffered attacks between 2004 and 2014 and they would "never forgive, never forget." This message was accompanied by a video clip showing the Mumbai attacks in 2008, where many people were killed.
Modi's support for Israel is a departure from India's historical position, which favored the two-state solution in Israel and Palestine. Since coming to power in 2014, the Hindu nationalists have strengthened ties with Israel, with Modi being the first Indian prime minister to visit the country.
Ideological Affinity
Modi and his party openly express their ideological affinity with Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They see Israel as a model for a religious nation-state, which aligns with their goal of making India a Hindu nation. Some Indian nationalist right-wing ideologues even admire the Israeli security doctrine and glorify Adolf Hitler.
Misinformation and Anti-Islamic Narratives
Following India's pro-Israel stance, there has been a flood of misinformation on social media targeting Palestine. Old videos and even footage from video games have been presented as atrocities committed by Hamas or the Palestinians. This misinformation aims to promote anti-Islamic narratives and target the Indian Muslim minority.
Exploiting the Conflict for Political Gain
As the general elections approach in 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliated organizations are using the conflict for domestic political purposes. They claim that supporting Modi's policy is crucial for India's security against similar attacks. However, many people condemn this exploitation of the conflict for political gain.
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Source: Le Monde
