AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A new report on the situation of Muslims in India shows that 2026 could become the deadliest year of anti-Muslim violence since record-keeping began in 2022. According to published statistics, at least 44 Muslims have been killed in India since the beginning of 2026, with 19 of them killed in incidents attributed to state forces and institutions, and 25 others killed in attacks described as religiously motivated mob attacks by Hindu extremists.
Acceleration of Muslim Killings
These statistics have been released by the "India Torture Tracker" section affiliated with the South Asian Justice Campaign. According to this report, in the period from May to July alone, at least 25 Muslims were killed, of whom 15 lost their lives during police or security forces actions, and 10 in attacks attributed to Hindu extremist groups. Among the victims of this period are an 11-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy.
Beyond Killings; From Arrests to Forced Evictions
The report emphasizes that pressure on Indian Muslims is not limited to killings, and other forms of pressure have also been recorded, including arrests, demolition of homes and religious sites, forced eviction of families, and other state actions. The organization says that Indian government institutions continue to use what it calls a "full range of coercive tools" against Muslims, including alleged extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, mass arrests, demolition of homes and mosques, and expulsion of families from areas near India's borders.
Widespread Destruction of Homes and Religious Sites
Another part of the report states that the states of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Kashmir, and West Bengal are among the areas where these actions have been prominent. According to these statistics, in the period under review, more than 1,000 homes, businesses, and Muslim religious buildings were destroyed in at least 21 separate incidents in eight states. The report also says that at least 23 Muslim religious buildings were demolished in less than two months in six states, and the total number of destroyed homes, businesses, and religious sites of Muslims since the beginning of 2026 has exceeded 3,000.
In Indian-occupied Kashmir, the report reports the arrest of more than 2,500 people within 48 hours following an armed attack in July. It is also claimed that the homes of two families were demolished using explosives. The report added that police in several states also selectively arrested Muslims during nationwide student protests, a matter that, according to the report's compilers, extends the scope of pressure on this community far beyond individual cases of violence.
The report identifies West Bengal as one of the important centers of recent developments, saying that following the BJP's first victory in the state elections in this region, attacks on mosques, Muslim-owned businesses, and Muslim street vendors' locations have left at least two dead, with one of them reportedly killed while defending a mosque. The report also criticizes changes in the welfare system and citizenship screening, changes in quotas, and a significant reduction in the budget for minority affairs and Islamic religious schools, and says 77 Muslim communities have been removed from the list of quota-entitled classes in this state. In Assam, the policy of "identification, removal, and deportation" and the return of individuals suspected of illegal immigration have also raised serious concerns about citizenship and due process.
Laws, Courts, and Allegations of Impunity for Perpetrators
Another part of the report states that legal and judicial frameworks are also being expanded in ways that affect Muslim rights. The report says the states of Assam and Madhya Pradesh have passed "Uniform Civil Code" laws, and in another case, a High Court has declared the historic Kamal Maula mosque as a Hindu temple, ending Friday prayers for Muslims there. Additionally, in several old cases, including one from 2005 and also the case of the burning of a Muslim in the 2002 Gujarat violence, defendants have been acquitted. The report says this trend reinforces a sense of impunity, especially when police officers or politically influential individuals are involved.
However, the report also mentions one important case: a Muslim judge sentenced 14 cow protection claimants to life imprisonment in a lynching case, a ruling described as a rare judicial victory, although the judge was subsequently placed under police protection due to alleged threats from Hindu extremists. The report concludes by emphasizing that the Indian government denies all allegations of discriminatory policies, saying its executive and administrative actions are directed at illegal activity, security considerations, or unauthorized construction, not religion. However, the report's compilers have stated that with 44 deaths recorded in the first seven months of 2026, it is difficult to dismiss this accumulating pattern as isolated events, and this year may become a new and bloody chapter in India's long-standing conflict over religious identity, citizenship, and equal protection under the law.
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