Deliberate targeting of Hindu faith: Muslim social media influencer blames newly built Hindu temple for natural floods in Dubai
India 
17 April, 2024
Case Summary
An anti-Hindu remark was made on social media by a Muslim influencer amidst widespread flooding in various parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to media reports, the accused propagated a theory blaming the recently constructed Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi for the natural floods. The temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14th February 2024, was targeted by a digital creator with a significant following on Instagram. The creator suggested that the temple’s inauguration triggered the floods, stating it was divine punishment of Allah for idol worship, referring derogatorily to Hinduism. The accused user @islamic_boy345 stated, “Massive rain hit Dubai immediately after a new Hindu temple was inaugurated. Allah sent several Paigambars (prophets) to stop the worship of idols, and now it has again started.” However, other netizens ridiculed this theory, pointing out the absurdity of attributing natural disasters to Hindu religious events and temples. Some sarcastically suggested that if temples could bring rain, the government should build more temples to solve water scarcity issues.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, 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. The other subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. This case is a blatant instance of hate speech against Hindus and their faith. The Muslim perpetrator blamed a Hindu temple for a natural disaster—widespread flooding in the United Arab Emirates—which is entirely unrelated to the temple. Such baseless accusations expose a deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu faith and community. Hindu temples are sacred spaces where devotees connect profoundly with the divine, seeking spiritual solace, blessings, and inner peace. Beyond being places of worship, they serve as vital centres of cultural preservation, meditation, and community bonding, embodying the core values and eternal principles of Hinduism. By targeting the temple, the accused committed a religiously motivated crime aimed at maligning Hinduism and its revered places of worship. Anti-Hindu remarks like these cause serious harm to the Hindu community. They reinforce harmful stereotypes and fuel bias, discrimination, and violence against Hindus, their faith, and their temples. Throughout history and into contemporary times, Hindu temples have been desecrated by Muslim perpetrators. When such hateful rhetoric spreads widely, it risks inciting attacks on Hindu places of worship, which are held in the highest regard, and puts Hindus in danger purely for their religious identity. This behaviour is rooted in prejudice against the Hindu faith and its sacred shrines, making it a case of religiously motivated hate speech. Given that this incident meets the criteria of a religiously motivated hate crime—targeting the sacred sites and sentiments of the Hindu community—it has been added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
