Muslim woman throws brooms and pelts stones at Hindu group celebrating Holi
Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, India 
7 March, 2023
Case Summary
In Jogiana Mohalla of Ganj Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman threw brooms and stones at a group of Hindus who were singing songs and playing Holi in the area. Videos of this incident went viral on social media. Reportedly, Hindus also retaliated and the matter escalated. On getting the information, Unnao police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under one prime category of the tracker because of the various distinct component that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith. 'Attack not resulting in death' is the main category under which this case has been classified and 'Communal clash' is the subcategory selected within this category. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore, can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious, however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. The other sub-category this case is being added to is 'attacked for Hindu identity'. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. In this case, the celebration of Holi, one of the most significant and vibrant festivals in Hinduism, was disrupted by one Muslim woman, who threw brooms and stones at Hindus who were singing songs and playing Holi, sparking a conflict between the communities. It is important to note that it was the Muslim woman who initiated the attack on the Hindus, who then retaliated in self-defence. Attacks, like this one, are rooted in religious bias. In fact, they are a form of symbolic aggression against the Hindu community that stems from an innate hatred for Hinduism. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for Hindus and their religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
