Man converted to Islam posts derogatory remarks against Hinduism

Case ID : 90a05b1 | Location : Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Sat, 18 January, 2025
Case ID : 90a05b1
location Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
date 18 January, 2025
Man converted to Islam posts derogatory remarks against Hinduism
Hate speech against Hindus
Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith

Case Summary

In the Kotwali area, a 21-year-old Hindu man, Anil Sonkar, converted to Islam and began posting anti-Hindu content on social media under the name Aneesh Azmi. Anil, a vegetable vendor from ward number two in Phulpur Nagar Panchayat, had displayed noticeable changes in his behaviour, speech, and attire over the past seven to eight months. His family initially dismissed concerns raised by locals but became alarmed when he actively promoted Islam and posted derogatory content about Hinduism online. Anil’s mother, Champa Devi, reported the matter to the local police, alleging that her son had been misled by individuals from Phulpur town and village into converting. Hindu organizations in the area raised objections, accusing local groups of promoting conversions through coercion and greed. Phulpur Kotwali Police, along with the Intelligence Bureau, initiated an investigation. Anil, taken into custody for questioning, claimed he converted voluntarily. SP Rural Chirag Jain confirmed that a case was registered, and authorities were probing the circumstances surrounding the conversion.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This incident has been added to the tracker under the category of- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category 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. In this instance, the derogatory posts about Hinduism and the glorification of Islam suggest a clear intent to demean Hindu beliefs while asserting the superiority of another religious ideology. This approach reflects an underlying religious animosity and highlights a broader tendency to challenge and diminish non-Abrahamic traditions. It underscores a systematic effort to target Hinduism, not just through conversion but also through mockery and denigration. Such acts go beyond personal belief or choice of religion; they indicate a broader pattern of hostility aimed at undermining a specific religious community. The propagation of anti-Hindu slurs and the mocking of Hindu practices demonstrate an intrinsic bias and a calculated intent to provoke and offend. This aligns with the definition of a hate crime, as the actions are motivated by prejudice and are designed to insult and harm a particular religious group. Consequently, this case has been added to the tracker.

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Case Status


Complaint registered

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Perpetrators Details

Perpetrators


Muslim Extremists

Perpetrators Range


One Person

Perpetrators Gender


male

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