Minor students subtly brainwashed into reciting Kalma by the Muslim teacher
Panipat, Haryana, India 
14 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Saraswati Vidya Mandir of Panipat it was revealed that a Muslim teacher named Mahjib Ansari was teaching Kalma to minor students in class. The matter came to light when Class 8 students returned home on 15 May 2025, and were heard reciting the Kalma. When the parents inquired, it was revealed that the Muslim teacher had taught them the Kalma. On 17 May 2025, parents of the children went to confront school authorities regarding this incident. A heated discussion ensued between the parents and the school authorities, during which questions were also raised about the teacher using the name “Mahi” instead of his full name. The school principal responded that the shorter name was used for convenience. As tensions escalated, the police were called to the school to maintain order. Eventually, on the request of the parents, the school teacher was fired. The principal was quoted by ThePrint as saying that Ansari had been employed at the school as a Sanskrit instructor for a year. Claiming that “Mahi” was not at fault, the principal explained that when asked about the incident, she showed remorse and clarified that she had merely been answering students' questions regarding Muslim worship practices.
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: - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with the tertiary category being: - Family claims grooming and Conversion of minor. 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 a Muslim teacher was teaching the Kalma, an Islamic declaration of faith, to Class 8 students at Saraswati Vidya Mandir school. Schools like Saraswati Vidya Mandir typically enrol students from all religious backgrounds, including Hindu children, therefore, the act of a teacher specifically teaching Kalma to minor students is an attempt at subtle indoctrination. A school is supposed to be a secular place, and imparting religious education, especially without the consent of parents, is a deliberate attempt at subtly changing the religion of the child and creating fertile grounds for converting them in future. By asking students to recite the Kalma even at home, the teacher was attempting to reinforce the practice through repetition and create familiarity and connection with the tenets of Islam. This calculated and repetitive exposure to religious doctrine is a clear example of religious brainwashing. Such practices are particularly concerning in the context of fiduciary relationships, where a teacher holds significant trust and authority over impressionable minors. The abuse of this trust to subtly insert religious doctrines by the Muslim teacher amounts to predatory proselytisation. It is also important to mention that since the victims were minors, there was an absence of both consent and a genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Moreover, subtle manipulation tactics can be difficult to detect, making it challenging for parents to identify and address instances of religious manipulation, though in this case, it was addressed. Consequently, cases involving religious manipulation of minors not only represent an infringement on an individual's religious freedom but also demonstrate a calculated strategy of targeting those who are less able to resist or understand the long-term implications of conversion, making it a significant case of religious-motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
