Extremists Attack Madrasa After Muslims Greet Hindus
NEW Delhi (Dispatches) -
Revellers from a Hindu march attacked a Muslim religious school near the Indian capital Delhi, just hours after Muslims welcomed Hindu pilgrims into the city, showering them with flower petals as a mark of religious unity.
Religious marches like this one are often co-opted by extremists, and this year’s march for Hindu god Shiva has been particularly violent.
As well as attacking Muslim sites, marchers beat a rickshaw driver to death for accidentally bumping into the procession and also attacked a school bus full of children.
In July also, a Hindu extremist mob destroyed parts of a mosque and attacked around 50-60 Muslim-owned homes in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur. At least 40 Muslims, including children, were attacked in the incident.
The extremists vandalized and destroyed parts of a mosque using sledgehammers while chanting “Jai Sri Ram” slogans. They went on to attack Muslim homes in neighboring areas. A house was torched and several vehicles were damaged.
As of now, no action has been taken against the assailants.
Three people were arrested in Bihar’s Nawada after a video showed them waving a Palestinian flag ahead of Muslim religious processions. In a similar incident, a 20-year-old Muslim man was arrested for waving the Palestinian flag at a Muharram procession in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi.
With India’s Hindu right fully in support of Israel, officials have been targeting those who support and protest in favor of Palestine, subjecting them to police brutality and arrests. Meanwhile, Hindu extremists have been organizing pro-Israel rallies and religious events without facing any legal action.
Prayer services at a church in a village in Madhya Pradesh state have been suspended since Hindu extremists attacked the congregation on June 1. A mob of about 20 villagers, led by members of the Hindu militant group Bajrang Dal, intruded into the house of a pastor, disrupting the worship service and beating the 50 people gathered for prayer, including women and children.
The mob also seized a 54-year-old Christian identified as Noorji and pelted stones at him. The mob then threatened to stone anyone who gathers for prayers to death.