Months after Ayatollah Ali Khmenei accused India of massacring Muslims, the Shiite religious leader launched an account in Hindi, in the name of Allah.
Hindi account launched @In_khamenei https://t.co/9ETUWdDiwy
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) August 9, 2020
Khamenei's first tweets were dedicated to Allah and Islam, indicating that he may be making an effort to connect with the Muslim community in India.
अल्लाह के नाम से, जो अत्यन्त कृपाशील तथा दयावान है
— आयतुल्लाह सय्यद अली ख़ामेनई (@In_khamenei) August 8, 2020
His first tweet reads: "In the name of Allah, who is very kind and compassionate". In his second tweet, he shares about the heartfelt bond of Shiites with Ghadir, a sermon delivered by the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Pond of Khumm.
हालांकि ग़दीर की घटना से हम शीयों का हार्दिक रिश्ता बहुत मज़बूत है लेकिन हक़ीक़त यह है कि ग़दीर की घटना अपने तथ्यों और वास्तविक आत्मा की दृष्टि से केवल शीयों तक सीमित नहीं बल्कि सारी इस्लामी दुनिया से संबंधित है। इसलिए कि ग़दीर की घटना इस्लाम की वास्तविक आत्मा पर आधारित है।
— आयतुल्लाह सय्यद अली ख़ामेनई (@In_khamenei) August 8, 2020
"Although the Shias’ heartfelt bond with the event of #Ghadir is a strong, significant bond, Ghadir in its true spirit does not belong only to the Shias. It belongs to the entire world of #Islam, because it is an event arising from the true spirit and essence of Islam," the tweet says.
There is no particular census on Muslim sects in India, but as per Pew Research Centre, Shia population in India is between 10 to 13 percent of total Muslim population which will translate into 20,000,000 - 30,000,000 people. India has the third largest Shia population after Iran and Pakistan and the country has more Shias than Iraq.
Khamenei had condemned the killings of Muslims in the February 2020 Delhi riots, wherein 52 people died, over 400 sustained injuries, many went missing after the communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on 24 and 25 February.
The Iranian supreme leader said the violence in Delhi was isolating India from the world of Islam.
“The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The government of India should confront extremist Hindus and their parties and stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam,” Khamenei tweeted.
India had lodged a protest over Khamenei and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's comments.
