Case Summary

In Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh, an Islamic cleric named Maulana Turab Ali shared an inflammatory video on social media featuring a Pakistani scholar urging Muslims to slaughter cows on the occasion of Eid. He claimed that this act brings 'Sawaab', meaning a meritorious deed. According to reports, the accused, Maulana Turab Ali, posted this inflammatory video on his Facebook account. This caused outrage among Hindus, who stated that the deliberate sharing of a video promoting cow slaughter hurt Hindu religious sentiments. Hindu organisations took offence at the post. Following this, Akhand Hindu Sena’s state vice president, Manoj Prajapat, lodged a complaint with the police against the Maulana. The police registered a case and began searching for Maulana Turab Ali, visiting his residence to arrest him, but he had absconded. Consequently, the police launched an investigation to locate him at his possible hideouts. Manoj Prajapat stated that Maulana Turab Ali attempted to disturb communal harmony by sharing videos of radical Muslim clerics from Pakistan. Therefore, they demanded strict action from the police. Mahidpur police station in-charge, Narendra Singh, said that the objectionable video had been sent for forensic investigation and to the cyber cell. Turab Ali’s other social media posts were also under investigation.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. The subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. In Hinduism, cows are deeply revered as sacred symbols of life, motherhood, and non-violence, often associated with deities like Lord Krishna and considered embodiments of dharma and nourishment. As India is a Hindu-majority nation, this reverence is reflected in both cultural practices and legal frameworks. Consequently, cow slaughter is either completely banned or strictly regulated in most Indian states, recognising the deep emotional, spiritual, and religious significance cows hold for the Hindu population. Despite being aware of this fact, the Islamic cleric Maulana Turab Ali was seen urging Muslims to slaughter cows on Eid and calling it a meritorious act. This constitutes hate speech against Hindus, as advocating for cow slaughter, especially in a public and provocative manner, is a deliberate attack on the Hindu religious sentiments. Calling cow slaughter a 'meritorious act' or 'Sawaab' goes beyond personal religious expression; it is a direct affront to Hindu values and beliefs. Even historically, the act of slaughtering cows in particular by Muslim extremists was done to insult and hurt the Hindu sentiments. Since they see Hindus as 'Kafirs' meaning inferior infidels, thus the act of desecrating their religious practices is conducted out of religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. The glorification of cow slaughter, particularly when broadcast to a diverse audience, is a deliberate incitement to disrespect and violate their most cherished religious norms of the Hindu community. By making and sharing such inflammatory videos, Maulana Turab Ali was deliberately engaging in speech to provoke hostility, outrage, and division. The act of celebrating cow slaughter as a religious duty, knowing its profound significance to Hindus, is widely regarded as an intentional act of hurting Hindu sentiments. It is an attempt to inflame religious passions, making it a clear example of hate speech. Such acts are carried out and endorsed by Muslim extremists due to immense hatred and disdain for Hindus and their religion. Since this case fits the parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database.