Hindu villagers targeted for conversion under guise of Qawwali event; money offered and Hinduism insulted by organised Muslim racket
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
20 May, 2023
Case Summary
In Chirkihit village, Azamgarh, innocent Hindu villagers were targeted for religious conversion by an organised Muslim conversion racket. The group used inducements and denigrated Hinduism to coerce people into accepting Islam. According to reports, the racket had organised a Qawwali event as a front to lure Hindu attendees into conversion. During the event, money was offered, and Hinduism was denigrated and mocked as hypocritical and false, while simultaneously praising Islam. This religious conversion operation came to light when the police acted on a tip-off and raided the event being conducted under the guise of a Qawwali event. Amid the ensuing chaos, some suspects fled, but the police managed to arrest 18 persons from the spot, including the mastermind, Sikander, and two women. It had been reported that Sikander, a native of Azamgarh, was the mastermind of the conversion racket and had planned the event to lure villagers into converting to Islam.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement. Predatory Proselytisation is not just limited to threat, harassment, force and violence, but it also has contours of stealth. In several cases, the Hindu victim is exploited to convert, with non-Hindus taking advantage of their poverty. In such cases, the Hindu victim who is suffering financially is offered monetary benefits, including lucrative offers for jobs, health treatment, education, etc, to induce the victim into changing his/her religion. In such cases, the religious identity of the victim and the aim to disenfranchise him from his faith form the heart of the crime. Also, taking advantage of and exploiting an individual’s economic vulnerabilities is widely acknowledged as exploitation, forms of which are often penalised by law. Such cases therefore are considered religiously motivated hate crimes since the victim’s religious identity forms the very heart of the crime itself. The second sub-category selected is - Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The third sub-category selected is - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with the tertiary category being - Pattern of targeting Hindus. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case has been added to the tracker because innocent Hindu villagers were lured with money for religious conversion by an organised Muslim conversion racket. Offering incentives for religious conversion, especially when directed at vulnerable individuals in need, shows that these incentives are not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they are calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By providing inducements in exchange for conversion, the accused were effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. This form of coercion strips Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents but rather are premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own faith, and convert to Islam. Such acts are deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims. Furthermore, the Muslim perpetrators openly insulted and denigrated Hinduism, calling it fake and hypocritical, while glorifying Islam as superior. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. Such remarks are designed to demean and undermine the faith of Hindus and intend to create an inferiority complex in the minds of the victims against their own faith. This fosters an environment of hostility and disrespect towards the Hindu community and Hindu deities. These acts of insulting Hinduism stem from Islamic theology, which harbours disdain and hatred for polytheistic faiths, and which categorises Hindus as ‘polytheists’ or 'kufr', thereby fostering hatred against them. Such actions make the religiously motivated nature of the crime even more evident. Additionally, the entire conversion event was disguised as a Qawwali event, further proving the malicious intent behind the act. This was not an open invitation to explore another faith; instead, it was a trap, set to deceive Hindus under the cover of a Qawwalli event. The use of such deceptive methods for the ultimate goal of conversion underscores the systematic and predatory nature of the whole incident. This incident is part of a broader pattern of predatory proselytisation where vulnerable Hindu communities, often from rural or economically weaker backgrounds, are specifically targeted using deceit, inducements, and denigration of their faith. Organised conversion rackets exploit cultural events, like Qawwali gatherings, as covert platforms to undermine Hindu beliefs and entice individuals with monetary or emotional incentives. Since such predatory action stems from animosity towards the Hindu faith, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
