08-05-2025
India blocks Instagram account of news page ‘Muslim'
India has blocked the Instagram account of a news page called Muslim, amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan post the Pahalgam terror attack.
The account was blocked in response to a legal demand by the Indian government, the social media platform said.
When accessed from India, Instagram displays the message: 'Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.'
The news platform Muslim describes itself as 'an independent media platform delivering Muslim news, stories and coverage to our Ummah [global Muslim community]' and has around 6.7 million followers on Instagram, AFP reported.
"I received hundreds of messages, emails and comments from our followers in India, that they cannot access our account," Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh, the platform's founder said in a statement on X.
He called the development ' detrimental ' at a time when he accused Western and legacy media of continually failing to represent the Muslim community accurately.
Khatahtbeh urged Meta to reinstate access to the page for users in India.
When platforms and countries try to silence media, it tells us that we are doing our job in holding those in power accountable.
We will continue to document the truth and stand out firmly for justice, as commanded to us by Allah (SWT).
— Muslim (@Muslim) May 7, 2025
Meta, the company that owns Instagram, is yet to comment on the matter. A spokesperson of the company referred AFP to a webpage that details its policy on limiting content when governments view certain material on its platforms as 'against local law'.
This development comes amid social media accounts of various Pakistani politicians, actors and cricketers being banned in India, like those of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and singer Abida Parveen.
On April 28, the Union government also banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, accusing them of spreading misinformation and content that could incite communal tension. The banned platforms included major news outlets such as Dawn News, Samaa TV and Geo News.
On Wednesday, the Indian military carried out strikes on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Nine sites were targeted under Operation Sindoor.
The Pakistan Army retaliated by shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Sixteen persons were killed in the firing, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The terror attack at the Baisaran area near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam town on April 22 left 26 dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu.
