Temple desecrated with Islamic graffiti, wall defaced with 'Allah' and '786'

Case Summary
A wall of the Shanti Maa Durga temple in Biharipur under the Kotwali police station area, Bareilly, UP was defaced with Islamic graffiti. The priest said that some radicals had written '786' and 'Allah' in Urdu on the wall of the Durga temple. A video of the defaced wall went viral on social media. Local police promptly erased the graffiti and filed an FIR against unidentified individuals. SHO Amit Pandey stated that CCTV footage near the temple is being reviewed to identify those responsible.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected 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. In this case, some unknown miscreants defaced the wall of a Hindu temple with graffiti bearing "786" and "Allah". In Islam, "786" is regarded as a numerical representation of the Arabic phrase "Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim," meaning "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." This significance stems from a numerological system known as Abjad, where Arabic letters are assigned numerical values. By summing the values of the letters in "Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim," the total is believed to equate to 786. Defacing a Hindu temple with "786" and "Allah" is an intentional act aimed at provoking and hurting the sentiments of Hindus. Such actions not only desecrate a sacred space but also signify animosity toward Hindu traditions and beliefs. By asserting Islamic symbols on a Hindu place of worship, the perpetrators exhibit a deliberate attempt to undermine Hindu faith and assert religious superiority. This act reflects Hinduphobia, rooted in hostility toward Hinduism. It is important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.

Case Status
Complaint filed

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown