The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has denounced the opening of the Ram Temple at the site of the demolished Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
The OIC’s statement came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ram Temple after “pran pratishtha” or consecration ceremony.
“The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed grave worry over the recent construction and inauguration of the “Ram Temple” at the site of the previously demolished Babri Mosque located in the Indian city of Ayodhya,” OIC, a representative body of 57 Muslim countries, said in a statement on Tuesday, January 23.
“In line with the OIC position expressed by the Council of Foreign Ministers in its previous sessions, the General Secretariat denounces these actions aimed at obliterating the Islamic landmarks represented by the Babri Mosque, which has stood tall in the exact location for five centuries,” it added.
On Monday, January 22, Pakistan also condemned the consecration of the Ram Temple, saying that the ceremony is “indicative of India’s growing majoritarianism”.
Taking to X, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “A temple built on the site of a demolished mosque will remain a blot on the face of India’s democracy for times to come. Notably, there is a growing list of mosques, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura, facing similar desecration and destruction.”
It added that the increasing popularity of ‘Hindutva’ ideology in India is a significant threat to religious harmony and regional peace. “The Chief Ministers of two major Indian states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, are on record as citing the Babri Mosque’s demolition or inauguration of the ‘Ram Temple’ as the first step towards reclaiming parts of Pakistan,” it said.
“The United Nations and other relevant international organizations should play their part in saving the Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of the religious and cultural rights of the minorities in India.”
The demolition of a centuries-old mosque on December 6, 1992, sparked widespread riots and the deaths of thousands, primarily Muslims.
India’s Supreme Court granted the construction of a temple at the site of the 16th-century Babri Masjid in November 2019.
The court has ordered the Sunni Central Waqf Board to construct a new mosque in a separate area on the outskirts of Ayodhya.
