India Condemns Khamenei’s Muslim Suffering Remarks

India has issued a strong rebuke against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his comments on the “suffering of Muslims.” Khamenei made these remarks on the occasion of Prophet Mohammed’s birth anniversary, highlighting the alleged suffering of Muslim communities in India, Gaza, and Myanmar.

In his X post, Khamenei stated, “We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in Myanmar, Gaza, India, or any other place.”

In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) firmly rejected these comments as “misinformed and unacceptable.” The official statement read, “We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These comments are misinformed and unacceptable.”

The MEA further advised nations making critical remarks on minority treatment to first review their own human rights records before passing judgment. “Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others,” the statement concluded.

Notably, Khamenei’s remarks coincided with a day when thousands of women in Iran took to the streets without mandatory headscarves or hijabs to mark the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died on September 16, 2022, in a hospital following her arrest by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab in accordance with the authorities’ preferences.

INDIA-IRAN RELATIONSHIP

India and Iran maintain strong bilateral relations, with no significant disruptions recently. A key element of this partnership is India’s involvement in the strategic Chabahar port, where a terminal is operated by an Indian state-run company.

In May, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar visited Iran to attend an official ceremony paying condolences following the deaths of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and former Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

In July, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian, held in Tehran.