Muslim man spits pan masala on idols in temple, threatens devotees
Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
19 October, 2024
Case Summary
On October 20, 2024, Sadarpur police in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, arrested a man named Shamsad for spitting pan masala on idols in a Hindu temple. The police reported that Shamsad, who is said to be mentally disturbed and receiving treatment at King George Medical College, entered the temple at Sadarpur's main crossroads, where he spat on the deities. When devotees present in the temple confronted him, he responded with threats and abusive language, even warning the devotees of dire consequences. The incident led to protests from local residents angered by the act of temple vandalism. Police quickly intervened, took Shamsad into custody, and filed a challan (fine) in Sitapur court.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been documented as a religious hate crime because the details clearly show that the offender had a bias against the Hindu faith and that the offence was performed in conjunction with that bias. Based on the case details, it has been added under two prime categories of the tracker. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious symbols. Under this, two sub-categories have been selected. The first is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category selected under the aforementioned category is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In this case, despite understanding that Hindu temples are centres of worship and sanctity, the Muslim perpetrator spat pan masala on the idols placed inside the temple. This is a deeply disrespectful act that reflects a lack of regard for Hindu religious beliefs and practices and demonstrates an intent to desecrate the sacred space of Hindus. Such acts of desecration stem from animosity towards the religion and its followers, indicating an intentional insult of the temple. Furthermore, the Muslim perpetrators abused and threatened the Hindu devotees who spoke out against the disgraceful act of spitting on the deities. This abusive response not only underscores the blatant disrespect for Hindu religious sentiments but also highlights the hostility faced by those who stand up against such acts of desecration. Such attacks on the premises of a temple or its devotees demonstrate the inherent Hinduphobia that radical Muslims harbour. The act of spitting in Islam is seen as one that wards off the Devil. When a Muslim man, therefore, spits on a sacred idol of Hindus, he is essentially spitting to ward off the devil underscoring how he views Hinduism and its religious symbols of evil. Further, the police claimed that the Muslim accused was 'mentally disturbed'. This claim represents a common trope used to deflect attention from the religious motivations behind hate crimes against Hindu places of worship, portraying the act as stemming from mental illness rather than religious animosity. Authorities often downplay such communal crimes and often attribute the offence to the accused's mental health. This narrative has appeared repeatedly in cases targeting Hindus and their religious symbols, obscuring the true intent of religious hatred. Many times, police minimise incidents of low-level communal crime to protect their jurisdiction from scrutiny. They frequently cite the accused's mental instability as the cause, aiming to prevent any flare-up in the area following the initial offence. However, this explanation rang hollow in this instance. If the accused was truly mentally unstable, why did he target only a Hindu temple for desecration and not a mosque or other non-Hindu places of worship? This selective targeting of a Hindu temple exposed deep-seated hatred for Hinduism and its sacred spaces, confirming the religiously motivated nature of the offence. Given that this case meets parameters of a religiously motivated offence it is being added to the hate crime database of the tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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