Muslim man deliberately puts blood on Shivling, desecrates Shiv temple
Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India 
30 November, 2024
Case Summary
An incident in Jaurasi village, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, led to communal tensions when a 40-year-old Muslim man desecrated a Shiv temple. The individual, identified as Ilyas Qureshi, was seen exiting the temple by local youths who later discovered blood stains on the Shivling. Angered by the sight, villagers detained the man and reported the matter to the Civil Lines Kotwali police. Complainant Ankit Saini, a resident of the same village and member of the gram sabha, said, “At 3.30 pm on December 1, Iliyas Qureshi deliberately put blood on the shivling installed in the Mahadev temple and desecrated the shivling, due to which the religious sentiments of the Hindu community were hurt and an attempt was made to spoil the atmosphere in the village. He (Iliyas) was caught in the act by villagers Ashish Saini, Sumit, Vishal, Daulat. He (Iliyas) himself admitted to committing the act. Legal action should be taken against him.” Roorkee police station in charge Narendra Singh Bisht stated that the accused was arrested following an FIR filed by a gram sabha member. During interrogation, the accused admitted to visiting Hindu temples, but his actions appeared suspicious, and it seemed the blood was deliberately placed on the Shivling. A meeting between the two communities in the village concluded with the decision that the accused should face legal action.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the primary category 'Attack on Hindu religious representations' under 2 sub-categories. The first sub-category 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 this case has been added to is 'Desecration of Hindu religious symbols'. 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, the Muslim man deliberately smeared the idol of Lord Shiv with blood after he desecrated the temple by breaking in. A temple is a sacred place of worship and idols are manifestations of the faith of Hindus. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. A deliberate desecration of the temple itself and the idol is a manifestation of religious hostility towards the faith stemming from the doctrinal and scriptural mandate to eradicate non-Muslim faith, especially Hinduism. Idol worship is considered a sin in Islam and therefore, the desecration of idols stems out of scriptural hate harboured by the Muslim extremist. For that reason, this case is being added as a hate crime.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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