—— OIC’s General Secretariat condemns obliteration of Islamic landmark represented by historic Babri Mosque
From Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday conveyed its serious concerns regarding the recent construction and inauguration of the “Ram Temple” at the site of the previously demolished Babri Mosque in India’s Ayodhya.
Expressing its stance, the OIC’s General Secretariat expressed deep worry over the actions taken to establish the “Ram Temple” and condemned the obliteration of the Islamic landmark represented by the historic Babri Mosque.
The mosque had stood at the site for five centuries and held significant cultural and religious value, it added.
This, the statement continued, aligns with the OIC’s consistent position, as expressed by the Council of Foreign Ministers in previous sessions.
The OIC denounces actions that undermine Islamic landmarks and emphasises the importance of pre-serving cultural and religious heritage, it asserted.
The statement came a day after Pakistan also condemned the construction and consecration of the temple on the site of the demolished Babri Mosque and urged the international community to take cognisance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in India. “The United Nations and other relevant international organisations should play their part in saving the Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of the religious and cultural rights of the minorities in India,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press statement.
Pakistan also urged the Indian government to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities, including Muslims and their holy places.
The centuries-old mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a mob of extremists. The temple in the city of Ayodhya has been a contentious issue that helped catapult the BJP to promi-nence and power, and delivers on its 35-year-old promise, which analysts say should help Modi as he seeks a rare third term in an election due by May.
For decades, the temple site was bitterly contested by Hindus and minority Muslims, leading to na-tionwide riots that killed 2,000 people, mainly Muslims.
In 2019, the Supreme Court handed over the land to Hindus and ordered allotment of a separate plot to Muslims where construction of a new mosque is yet to begin.
