In the latest violent manifestation of systemic Islamophobia in India, a Muslim woman who was gang-raped expressed herself to be "numb" as her attackers were released early from prison. 

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Bilkis Bano and her two children were the only survivors when a Hindu mob attacked a group of 17 Muslims in Gujarat, 2002, killing 14 of them.

Pregnant at the time, Bilkis witnessed the killing of seven of her relatives, including her daughter who was 3 at the time. 

Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Gujarat state's premier at the time of the tragedy.

11 Hindu men were originally sentenced to life in prison, but then were freed on Monday at a time that coincides with the 75th anniversary of India's independence, August 15. 

The rapists were greeted by their relatives, in addition to a BJP delegate, outside the prison, being handed sweets and their feet touched as a traditional Indian sign of respect. The BJP is notorious for its violent and derogatory anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies. 

The release came after a recommendation by a state government panel.

Bilkis' lawyer released a statement expressing her devastation, expressing how "The trauma of the past 20 years washed over me again."

Statement by Bilkis Bano. pic.twitter.com/MUAV2YoOP5

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) August 17, 2022

In a statement released by Bilkis' lawyer, she was "bereft of words. I am still numb."

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"I trusted the highest courts in our land. I trusted the system, and I was learning slowly to live with my trauma.

"The release of these convicts has taken from me my peace and shaken my faith in justice. My sorrow and my wavering faith are not for myself alone but for every woman who is struggling for justice in courts," she said.

About a dozen people held a demonstration in the capital, New Delhi, against the release of the rapists on Thursday.

"Prime Minister... the entire country is seeing the difference between your words and deeds," wrote Rahul Gandhi, an opposition politician, and the grandson of former premier Indira Gandhi.

"BJP's bias for a religion is such that even brutal rape & hate crimes are forgivable," prominent Muslim politician Asaduddin Owaisi said, referring to Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been responsible for the protracted crackdowns and marginalization of Muslim populations in India.

The BJP-operated Gujarat government defended the decision to release the rapists.

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"The remission of the 11 convicts was considered after taking various factors like life imprisonment term in India which is typically of 14 years or more, age, behaviour of the person and so on," senior official Raj Kumar was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying.

Around 1,000 mostly Muslim Indians were hacked, beaten, shot or burnt to death in the riots after 59 Hindu pilgrims died in a train fire that was - falsely - blamed on a Muslim group. 

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