Muslims attempt to sacrifice animals at revered Hindu site

Case Summary
Muslims attempted to sacrifice animals at a sacred hilltop revered by Hindus. The incident occurred at the Subramanya Swamy Temple on Thiruparankundram Hill, a significant Hindu pilgrimage site in the Madurai district. Thiruparankundram is a revered Hindu site, home to the famous Murugan Temple, the first of Lord Muruga’s six holy abodes. Syed Abu Dahir, 53, from Malaiyadipatti, arrived with his family, a goat, and two roosters for the ritual. Police stopped the group at the base of the hill, citing a ban on taking livestock uphill. In response, over 20 local Muslims gathered at the hill’s steps in protest, claiming that sacrificing animals, cooking, and consuming them had been a long-standing tradition at a dargah there. Assistant Commissioners of Police Gurusamy, Ganesan, and Seetharaman, along with RTO Kannan, arrived to mediate. The RTO advised the group to file a formal petition to seek a government decision. However, the protesters refused and continued their demonstration. Police arrested 10 individuals, including those who brought the animals. They were later released. The incident heightened tensions in the area, with discussions that the act was intended to create religious discord in Thiruparankundram, a significant Hindu pilgrimage site. The Hindu Munnani condemned the event, accusing Islamic fundamentalists of trying to claim the hills as “Sikandar Hill” and disrupting harmony. They also criticized the authorities for inaction, referencing a High Court ruling declaring the hills belonged to Lord Murugan.
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- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. In this instance, Muslims deliberately attempted to conduct an animal sacrifice at Thiruparankundram, a site of profound religious significance to Hindus. The act not only violated established rules governing the sacredness of the site but also demonstrated a blatant disregard for Hindu religious practices and sentiments. The intention behind such an act was clearly to provoke and disrupt the religious harmony of the area, making it a direct attack on Hindus and their faith. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.

Case Status
Perpatrator released by Police

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
both