![]() Similarly, social media has been abuzz with posts about what many consider to be a Muslim conspiracy. One newspaper went as far as publishing a cartoon depicting the coronavirus as a terrorist in Muslim attire. The Tablighi Jamaat guests were a tiny fraction of this number.ĭespite this, Indian media launched a high-decibel campaign about the matter. ![]() At that time, the government of India tried to downplay the gravity of the situation, allowing the parliament to function and letting nearly 1.5 million people enter the country without proper screening between January and March. “This is basically sampling bias: Since people from this one cluster have been tested at very high rates, and overall testing is low, it is hardly surprising that a large proportion of overall positives is attributed to this cluster,” Datta said.Īs some have pointed out, the Tablighi Jamaat event was only one of the many congregations, religious and non-religious, which happened in mid-March. According to Saugato Datta, a behavioural and developmental economist, highlighting the large proportion of overall positive cases that are linked to the New Delhi event is misleading, given that the authorities did not aggressively trace and test people from other gatherings like it. Since it is difficult for many to differentiate between Tablighis and other Muslims, all Muslims are now seen as potential carriers of this virus and are therefore shunned and hated.īut some have questioned the methodology of COVID-19 testing and reporting. It has created an impression that the Muslim movement is the main culprit. This became a justification for the government to create a separate column of Tablighi Jamaat-related cases in its daily briefings. Very soon, reports started pouring in from different parts of India suggesting that the largest number of positive cases could be traced back to the event. The Tablighi Jamaat was blamed for organising this event in the middle of March, ignoring the threat of the spread of the virus. People travelled from outside India to attend this event and it is suspected that they may have introduced the virus into the congregation. ![]() It all started when news spread that people who had attended a large gathering of Tablighi Jamaat, a Muslim missionary movement, at its premises in New Delhi had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Videos showing Muslims spitting on vegetables and fruit, licking plates and smearing surfaces with their saliva are being circulated widely. A new term, “corona jihad”, has been coined to describe this conspiracy. There has been a sudden surge in Islamophobic hashtags and posts on different social media platforms accusing Muslims of purposefully spreading the virus. Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Katalin Kariko, Drew Weissman win Nobel Prize in medicine for mRNA vaccines list 2 of 4 ‘Bugger!’: New Zealand PM gets COVID at critical point in election campaign list 3 of 4 Have interest rates reached their peak? list 4 of 4 What level of risk is posed by a new wave of COVID-19 cases? end of list
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