Muslim students of Jamia Millia Islamia intimidate and threaten to prevent other students from celebrating Holi on campus, raise Naara-e-Takbeer and Allah-hu-Akbar slogans
Delhi, Delhi, India 
1 March, 2023
Case Summary
Some Muslim students of the Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) created a ruckus and opposed the celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi on the campus. The incident occurred on March 1, 2023, during an event named ‘Rangotsav’ organised by the university’s YUVA chapter, to celebrate the Hindu festival on campus. Holi was observed on March 8, 2023. The Muslim students of the university opposing the celebration of Holi on the campus were heard raising “Naara-e-Takbeer, Allah-hu-Akbar,” slogans. Twitter user Jatin Jain shared a thread of tweets on Thursday, March 2, with snippets from the varsity’s campus where a group of students were seen threatening and intimidating their peers against celebrating the festival on the premises. The user also shared a screenshot of an Instagram story posted by a Muslim student of JMIU where he instigates Muslims against Hindus and forbids them from participating in the Hindu festivals.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Distinct elements in this particular case demonstrate that the crime was committed while harbouring a bias against the Hindu faith. According to the case's specifics, this case has been placed under two prime categories: Restriction/ban on Hindu practices and Hate speech against Hindus. Under the first prime category, the sub-category selected here is- Restriction on expression of Hindu identity- An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. The sub-category selected under the second prime category 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. The incident at Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU), where some Muslim students opposed the celebration of Holi, exemplifies a hate crime targeting Hindu religious identity and mocking Hindu faith. During the ‘Rangotsav’ event organized by the university’s YUVA chapter on March 1, 2023, a group of students disrupted the festivities by raising slogans such as “Naara-e-Takbeer” and “Allah-hu-Akbar,” signaling their opposition to the celebration of this significant Hindu festival. Reports of students threatening and intimidating their peers against participating in the festivities highlight the hostile atmosphere created by those opposing the event. Furthermore, a screenshot shared by a Twitter user of an Instagram story from a Muslim student inciting fellow Muslims against Hindus and discouraging them from engaging in Hindu celebrations further illustrates the deliberate attempt to undermine and mock Hindu religious practices. This orchestrated opposition not only seeks to delegitimize Hindu festivities but also aims to diminish the presence of Hindu culture within a university setting, fostering an environment of fear and alienation for Hindu students. Such actions represent a broader pattern of intolerance that attacks the very essence of Hindu identity and community. Since such actions can only stem from a profound contempt for the Hindu religion, this case deserves to be recorded in this hate tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
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