India tears into ‘narrow-minded’ Ilhan Omar for visiting the heavily-disputed Kashmir region

Rep. Ilhan Omar drew the ire of India for visiting the disputed Kashmir region on a trip to Pakistan where she discussed Islamophobia with the nation’s rulers. 

Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India, sworn enemies, have been warring over the Kashmir territory for decades. The region is now made up of territories control by Pakistan, India and China. Both India and Pakistan claim rights to the territory in full. 

India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said of Omar’s visit in a press conference Thursday: ‘We have noted that US Representative Ilhan Omar has visited a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan. If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business. But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours. This visit is condemnable.’ 

 ‘I don’t believe that it (Kashmir) is being talked about to the extent it needs to in Congress but also with the administration,’ Omar told reporters after visiting the de facto border dividing the disputed territory between Pakistan and India.

Earlier this month Omar, one of two Muslim members of Congress, questioned US hesitancy to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on alleged human rights abuses in the Kashmir region. 

On Wednesday Omar visited with recently ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan 

Ilhan Omar, along with the President of Azaz Kashmir Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, speaks to the media during her visit to Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administrated Kashmir, Pakistan

‘What does Modi need to do to India’s Muslim population before we will stop considering them a partner in peace?’ Omar said.  

Days later Sec of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was monitoring ‘concerning developments’ in human rights abuses by Indian government, police and prison officials.

Since Modi and his Hindu nationalist party came to power in 2014, right-wing Hindu groups have reportedly launched attacks on Muslim Indians in order to prevent religious conversions. Some Indian states have passed anti-conversion laws and in 2019, the government passed a citizenship law that barred Muslim migrants from obtaining citizenship.

The law was meant to grant Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before 2015.

Also in 2019 Modi’s government revoked a law granting Kashmir special status in a bid to integrate the Muslim-majority region in with the rest of India. Modi sent police forces to the territory claimed by Pakistan and locked up Kashmir political leaders to keep a lid on protests.