#Boycott_Indian_Products trends in Arab countries following persecution of Muslims in Assam

A new hashtag has trended quickly across the Arab World in response to Indian authorities' violent expulsion of thousands of Muslims from their homes in the northeastern Indian state of Assam.

Al-Jazeera Arabic reported on Monday that #Boycott_Indian_Products was the most trending Arabic-language hashtag in several Arab countries after Indian authorities expelled hundreds of Muslim families from their homes in Assam, killing at least two people.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
نبدء #مقاطعة_المنتجات_الهندية #الهند_تقتل_المسلمين pic.twitter.com/DnKVJvDq7V

— Omar Salama (@salama_atya) September 28, 2021

India’s ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party has been conducting a long-running campaign against Muslims in Assam, who make up one-third of the population of the northeastern state.

In 2018, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped millions of Muslims in Assam of Indian citizenship, claiming that they were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Forced evictions in the state began on 20 September. Eight hundred families have been forced from their homes on the grounds they were "illegally constructed".

Footage of a government photographer beating and stomping on a man after he was shot by the police during evictions has gone viral.

One Twitter user, Jassam al Ghaith said: "Don't wait for governments to react to what is happening in India and don't be distracted by statements of condemnation (assuming these are issued). In a capitalist world the only language is the language of money and a boycott of Indian products is support for our Indian Muslim brothers and sisters."

لا تنتظروا من الحكومات رد فعل على ما يحصل في الهند، ولا تلتفوا إلى بيانات الشجب لذر الرماد في العيون(هذا إن صدرت منهم).

ففي عالم الرأسمالية لا لغة إلا لغة المال
فـ #مقاطعة_المنتجات_الهندية هو نصرة لأشقائنا وإخواننا مسلمي الهند نصرهم الله على عدوهم pic.twitter.com/2gTryGA9qr

— جاسم حمد الغيث (@Jassim_alghaith) September 27, 2021

Other Twitter users said that a boycott of Indian products was a valid response to the violence in Assam.

Twitter user Omar Salamah blamed Arab governments for continuing relations with the Indian government while Muslims in Assam were being persecuted.

"Muslims in India are being killed in cold blood and Arab and Muslim governments continue to deal with India. They need to have an effective role in pressuring the government of India. Where are human rights? Where is the Security Council and the UN? Where is the international community?"