Covid-19, communalism, and Islamophobia

India facing the disease

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2958355
AutoresSilvia Tieri (0000-0003-1043-5609, King's India Institute, King's College London, London, UK, autor correspondente), Amit Ranjan (0000-0001-7931-4819)
Ano2023
Volume29
Fascículo1
Páginas62-78
Data de publicação2023-01-02
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSocial Identities (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1350-4630 • E-ISSN: 1363-0296
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13504630.2023.2207460
OpenAlexW4380272458
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas32

As threats to human security, epidemics cause fear and anxiety, thus generating conspiracy theories, fake news, and discrimination. In 2020, the most widespread xenophobic reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic was Sinophobia. In comparison, India’s response to the pandemic was both conventional and exceptional. Like other countries, India recorded a surge in Sinophobia; but –remarkably– in Islamophobia too. Turning to both history and theory, this paper investigates how Coronavirus got transformed into a ‘Muslim disease’ and connected to narratives of holy war and Islamization (‘Corona Jihad’). We contextualize the 2020 Covid-related Islamophobic wave within a longer process of demonization of the Muslim that is catalysed by the beliefs and policies of Hindu nationalism. In light of Muslims’ continuing relegation to the fringe of the Indian body-politic, we propose an interpretation of the 2020 disease-induced Islamophobia as scapegoating, based on René Girard’s mimetic theory. In conclusion, the case of Covid-19 in India confirms that in divided societies collective threats like epidemics are likely to exacerbate already existing forms of discrimination rooted in the society’s mainstream memory and norms, and highlights the role of beliefs in mediating between threat and violence. This case study also highlights the deep penetration of communal discourse in India’s everydayness and its far-reaching implications

Buddhism · Communalism · Criminology · Dharma · Hatred · Hindu nationalism · Hinduism · Islamization · Islamophobia · Media studies · Nationalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Racism · Scapegoating · Sociology · Terrorism · Xenophobia · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Gender Studies · History · Indian History and Philosophy · Law · Religious studies · South Asian Studies and Conflicts