Stones pelted at Ram Navami procession

Case ID : 242de5f | Location : Malad, Maharashtra, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 29 March, 2023

Case ID : 242de5f

Malad, Maharashtra, India

29 March, 2023

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for crossing 'Muslim area'

Attack on religious procession

Attack against Hindu devotees

Case Summary

A Ram Navami procession in the Malvai region of Mumbai’s Malad suburb was attacked by an Islamist mob as it passed by a Masjid near gate no. 7 area. The Islamists attacked the procession by pelting stones and also forced the loudspeakers to be shut in the area. One of the locals identified as Tajindar Tiwana revealed that the loudspeakers were shut by the Hindus way before it reached the area near the Masjid. However, the Muslims still attacked the procession and pelted stones at it as it passed by the Masjid. A total of 7 people were injured in the incident. The police booked 300 unidentified people and detained 20 in connection with the attack. Some accused persons booked in the case were identified as Munna Nayatulla Rafiq Sheikh, Mohammad Shoaib Ahmed Mohammad, Faizan Alim, Latif Sayyed, Afzal Sheikh, Sadik Sheikh, Mh Furkan Faiyyaz Ahmed, Ahmed Raza Sameer Sheikh, Mohabiya Ansari, Jameel Merchant, Munna Sheikh, Rohan Sheikh. The FIR filed in the case stated that around 100 to 150 Muslims gathered illegally on the Abdul Hamid Road and raised the slogans of ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’ and also pointed at the Hindu participants in the procession. Suddenly, one of the identified accused persons, Munna Nayatulla Rafiq Sheikh, pelted stones at the procession injuring one participant. The stone pelting then began in full swing. The procession was further attacked as it moved by the road aligning with the Ali Hazrat Masjid.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under two subcategories of the prime category 'Attack not resulting in death' because of the various distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and their deliberate attempt to harm the Hindus. The first sub-category under 'Attack not resulting in death' relevant in this case is 'Attack on religious procession'. The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The second sub-category under which this case has been listed is, 'Attacked for crossing 'Muslim area' One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. In this case, the Hindu men were brutally attacked by Islamists for celebrating Ram Navami, a significant Hindu festival that marks the birth of Lord Rama. It is important to note here that there was no sort of provocation from the Hindu side. In fact, the Muslims took offence when the procession passed through a mosque. They were also irked with Hindus playing loudspeakers to celebrate their festival. It is important to note here that the Hindus had stopped playing the loudspeaker way before it reached the area near the Masjid, yet the Islamists got triggered and launched an attack against the Hindus. It can thus be safely said that the disruption was motivated by hostility or prejudice against Hindus and their religious practices. Such acts are driven by intolerance and a desire to intimidate or harm individuals based on their religious identity and qualify as a hate crime.