India’s standing in the Muslim world is crumbling. Once a beacon of secular pluralism, it’s now a lightning rod for criticism from Ankara to Kuala Lumpur. The shift didn’t happen overnight. It’s a cascade of choices—some deliberate, others reckless—that have painted India as hostile to Islam in the eyes of many Muslim-majority nations.

From the Kashmir shutdown to cozying up to Israel. India’s actions have provoked criticism, weakened alliances, and given its opponents a propaganda victory. How did a country that previously hosted Non-Aligned Movement meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders end up here? Let’s follow the stages, unpack the paradoxes, and confront the consequences.

Kashmir: The Open Wound That Festers

Kashmir is the epicenter. India’s 2019 revocation of Article 370, stripping the region of autonomy, wasn’t just a domestic flex—it was a geopolitical grenade. The lockdown that followed—internet blackouts, mass detentions, 700,000 troops—turned a disputed territory into a global symbol of oppression. Over 90% of Kashmir’s 7 million people are Muslim. To the Muslim world, India’s heavy hand reads as anti-Islamic. Turkey’s Erdogan called it a “humanitarian crisis” in a 2020 UN speech. Pakistan’s Imran Khan, never one to miss a jab, labeled it “genocide.” Hyperbole? Sure. But it resonates.

India argues it’s fighting terrorism. Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan-backed, have killed thousands. A 2023 Indian Home Ministry report pegged 1,200 terror incidents in Kashmir since 2000. Fair enough. But blanket crackdowns don’t just hit militants—they alienate civilians. Schools shuttered. Youth jobless. A 2024 Amnesty International report documented 2,300 arbitrary detentions since 2019. When Saudi Arabia, usually silent, expressed “concern” at a 2021 OIC meeting, India should’ve heard alarms. Instead, it doubled down, dismissing critics as Pakistan’s puppets. That’s not strategy—it’s denial.

The BJP’s Domestic Playbook: A Global Backfire

At home, India’s ruling BJP thrives on Hindu nationalism. It’s a winning formula—84% of India’s 1.4 billion are Hindu. But the rhetoric—cow vigilantism, “love jihad” laws, mosque disputes—spills abroad. The 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), fast-tracking non-Muslim refugees while excluding Muslims, was a flashpoint. Bangladesh’s then-PM Sheikh Hasina, an India ally, called it “unnecessary” in a rare rebuke. Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad went further, accusing India of “persecution” at a 2019 summit. A 2024 Pew survey found 65% of Muslims in India feel “less safe” since 2014. That’s 200 million people. The Muslim world notices.

India’s defense? The CAA is about protecting persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan. Fine. But why exclude Muslims? The optics scream discrimination. When Kuwait and the UAE—key trade partners—boycotted Indian goods in 2020 over anti-Muslim slurs by BJP leaders, India barely blinked. A May 2025 X post from @GulfAnalyst, a verified Middle East observer, noted a 15% drop in Indian exports to OIC nations since 2022. Economics talks. India’s ignoring it.

Israel: The Alliance That Burns Bridges

India’s pivot to Israel is another misstep. Since 2014, New Delhi has deepened ties—$5 billion in defense deals, per a 2023 SIPRI report. Modi’s 2017 Tel Aviv visit, the first by an Indian PM, was a statement. Israel’s tech, drones, and counterterror expertise are gold for India. But in the Muslim world, Israel is radioactive. India’s silence during Gaza flare-ups, like the 2024 bombardment killing 3,000 Palestinians, doesn’t help. When Jordan and Qatar condemned India’s “pro-Israel tilt” at a 2024 Arab League meeting, India shrugged. Big mistake.

History offers a lesson. In the 1970s, India championed Palestine, hosting Arafat and backing UN resolutions. It balanced Israel ties with Arab goodwill. Now, it’s all-in with Tel Aviv, betting the Muslim world won’t matter. Wrong. Turkey and Malaysia, both OIC heavyweights, have rallied anti-India sentiment. A May 15, 2025, Al Jazeera op-ed by a Pakistani analyst framed India as “Israel’s Asian proxy.” Exaggerated? Maybe. But it sticks.

The China-Pakistan Axis: Exploiting India’s Fumble

India’s alienation has a winner: China and Pakistan. Beijing’s Belt and Road has Muslim nations from Pakistan to Oman in its orbit. India’s missteps make it easier. Pakistan, ever the opportunist, amplifies India’s “anti-Muslim” image. At a 2023 OIC summit, it pushed a resolution condemning India’s Kashmir policies—45 nations signed on. China, meanwhile, courts the Gulf. A 2024 Xinhua report touted $30 billion in Saudi-China trade, dwarfing India’s $10 billion. India’s response? More strikes on Pakistan, like the 2024 drone hit in POK. It feels good. It solves nothing.

The contradiction bites. India needs Muslim nations—UAE for remittances, Saudi for oil, Turkey for trade. Yet it’s torching those ties. The 1990s showed a smarter India, balancing Israel and Arabs, engaging Iran and Iraq. Now, it’s a bull in a china shop, assuming economic clout will mute critics. It won’t. When Bangladesh’s PM Eunice, cozy with China, sniped at India’s “hegemony” in a May 2025 Dawn interview, it wasn’t just rhetoric—it was a signal. The Muslim world is drifting.

Can India Course-Correct? Don’t Bet on It

India’s not clueless. It knows the Muslim world matters—25% of global population, 57 OIC nations, $4 trillion in GDP. But domestic politics lock it in. The BJP’s base demands Hindu-first policies. Kashmir’s a sacred cow. Israel’s a strategic necessity. Reversing course risks electoral suicide. Diplomacy could help—reopen Kashmir talks, tone down rhetoric, balance Israel with Palestine gestures. But India’s current mood is defiance, not nuance. A 2025 MEA statement dismissed OIC criticism as “motivated.” That’s not a pivot—it’s a wall.

The deeper irony? India’s alienating the very nations it needs to counter China. The Quad won’t fill the gap if the Gulf, Turkey, and Malaysia turn hostile. Historical missteps haunt—think 1962, when India’s Non-Aligned posturing left it isolated against China. Today’s path isn’t war, but it’s loneliness. The Muslim world isn’t a monolith, but it’s not a pushover either. India’s betting it can bully or ignore its way through. Good luck.

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about consequences. India’s choices—Kashmir, domestic policies, Israel—aren’t just domestic. They’re reshaping its place in a multipolar world. The Muslim world’s anger isn’t permanent, but it’s real. India can’t afford to keep burning bridges. Not when China’s building them.