OIC rights body condemns Islamophobia surge in India, IIOJK

ISLAMABAD: The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), an advisory body of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on Friday condemned what it described as an alarming increase in Islamophobia, hate speech, and reprisal attacks against Muslims in India and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam incident.

In a statement, the IPHRC urged the international community to launch a prompt and impartial investigation into the violence, stressing the need to protect civilians and hold perpetrators accountable. It criticised far-right Hindu groups for allegedly scapegoating Muslims after the attack and called on India to uphold its obligations under international law, including the ICCPR, ICESCR, and ICERD treaties.

The Commission reiterated its rejection of India’s post-2019 actions in the region, including the revocation of Article 370 and demographic changes, which it said undermine the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.

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The statement called for the restoration of fundamental rights in Indian-administered Kashmir, the release of political prisoners, and international access to the region, including by UN and OIC observers.

While the IPHRC’s declarations are not legally binding, they carry diplomatic weight in multilateral forums and can bolster international advocacy, particularly in the UN Human Rights Council. The Commission also urged the UN to consider deploying a fact-finding mission or Commission of Inquiry to document rights abuses.