The Slaughter of a Muslim Imam by Hindu Extremists Provokes Anger in India and Islamic Countries

Hindu extremists continue their racist crimes and hate speeches in India under the auspices of the ruling party headed by Narendra Modi, especially after they killed an imam of a mosque in the Indian city of Siwan.

As a result, the social media platforms in India ignited anger after local media sources published news of what was described as a new racist attack targeting an elderly imam of a mosque in Khalispur village in Siwan city, Bihar state.

Tweeters demanded, through several hashtags, most notably: #JusticeForSiwanMaulvi, #HindusTerrorism, and #India, an impartial investigation that holds those involved in the killing of the imam, who have not been arrested so far, accountable, after a case was filed at the police station in the state, and despite the passage of more than a week since the start of the investigation into the crime.

It is noteworthy that for several days, various parts of India have witnessed widespread protests denouncing anti-Islam and insulting statements made by two members of the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Clashes erupted between Muslims and Hindus backed by police in several areas, and at least 400 people were arrested.

Observers believe that Hindu extremist groups may increase their reprisals against the 195 million Muslims out of the country's population of 1.35 billion, after the success of the campaign to support the Prophet against the party leaders and the Indian government’s insistence not to apologize.

For weeks, there have been calls to transform ancient mosques into Hindu temples, and Hindus have repeatedly filed lawsuits, demanding excavation in the foundations of mosques, claiming that they were built on the ruins of their temples hundreds of years ago.

 

New Hindu Attack

According to Indian media reports, Hindu attackers cut off the neck of a mosque imam while he was sleeping and left him to bleed to death inside a mosque in Khalispur village in Siwan city, Bihar state.

The elderly Indian imam, Muhammad Safi, was killed at dawn on Friday, June 10, 2022, as he was sleeping in the mosque of his village, before a number of Hindu extremists attacked him and slaughtered him with a knife.

In the morning when people came to clean the mosque, they discovered the slain imam of the mosque and informed his family and the police.

Indian news websites added that the police arrived at the crime scene and dispersed some angry protesters, and announced that it would open an investigation into the crime and take the necessary legal measures to hold those involved accountable.

Following this violent incident, the social media in India and Islamic countries became full with pictures of the slain Imam, amid resentment and fear of the spread of such incidents against Muslims in India and fear of impunity for the perpetrators.

The International Organization in Support of the Prophet of Islam condemned this crime, and said: “The martyrdom of the imam of a mosque in Bihar, because he urged Muslims to defend the honor of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, after being attacked by the official spokespersons of Modi's party.”

On his part, Boris Rovchenko, in a tweet on his Twitter account, denounced the killing of a Muslim imam in India, noting that Hindus who worship dolls have astonished the world with their brutality and hatred against Muslims.

 

 

While an account called SHEM condemned in a tweet the silence of international and human rights organizations on the crime of slaughtering the Muslim imam of the mosque.

 

 

On his part, activist Ahmed Alsomairi called on Muslims around the world to stand up for Muslims in India who are being humiliated by Hindutva terrorists with the full support of BJP leaders.

 

 

Among the tweets that Al-Estiklal monitored was also a tweet by a person named Kamal, in which he denounced the killings of religious identity in India, which are practiced by Hindus against Muslims who defend their Prophet and offensive statements against him, demanding that Hindu criminals be punished, and the Indian government stops supporting them.

 

 

In turn, Layla Bensassi, in a tweet on her Twitter account, also condemned the terrorist practices practiced by Hindutva, describing the world and the United Nations as hypocritical for not condemning the slaughter of an elderly imam inside the mosque.

 

 

While another tweeter posted, “The new Rwanda is currently being written in India, and the United Nations is closing its eyes about what is happening there."

 

 

 

Widespread Condemnation

What the Indian government and Hindu extremists have done and are still committing has caused an uproar all over the world and within India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has faced condemnation in Muslim and other countries.

On the other hand, the United States became the first non-Muslim country to condemn the racist practices and hate speech practiced by the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party against Muslims residing in that country.

The US State Department spokesman, Ned Price, condemned the Hindu blasphemous attacks against the Prophet (peace be upon him) by two senior leaders of Prime Minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and called on the Indian government to respect human rights.

 

 

In turn, the former president of the Maldives, Abdullah Yameen, warned against ignoring the inhumane attacks against Muslims in India, pointing to the possibility of genocide against them in the country.

 

 

On the other hand, demonstrations were organized in several countries, including Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Pakistan to demand that the governments of Islamic countries take deterrent measures against India, and force it to stop insults to the Prophet.

The foreign ministries of Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran also summoned India's ambassadors and handed them official protest notes against the insulting statements of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Indian American Muslim Council organized a demonstration in the American city of Dallas, in order to denounce the increase in Islamophobia and fascism in India, noting that the genocide of Muslims in India is imminent.

 

 

In turn, the Chairman of the Coordination Council of Islamic Organizations in Malaysia, Azmi Abdul Hamid, described what the Muslims of India are being subjected to as a war of extermination, and said that they had announced a set of demands, the most important of which was the cessation of atrocities, violence and all practices against Muslims.