Muslim man makes pro-Pakistan remarks on social media in the aftermath of India's retaliation to Pahalgam anti-Hindu terror attack
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
3 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Hasangarh village, Aligarh district, Uttar Pradesh, a 19-year-old Muslim man named Faizan Khan posted a comment saying "Pakistan Zindabad" along with Pakistani flag emojis on Instagram. This comment was made during heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following the Pahalgam anti-Hindu terror attack. According to media reports, the police noticed a post on an Instagram account named 'Fatima Firdaus 23', a Pakistani handle. In that post, there was a comment from an account named 'Ziddi Boy UP Shahenshah', which featured the Pakistani flag and the words "Pakistan Zindabad". Upon investigating the 'Ziddi Boy' account, police identified the accused as Faizan Khan, a 19-year-old Indian Muslim. Further investigation revealed that he had also posted photos and videos showing the number plate of his motorcycle. The police traced the number plate, which led them to uncover the full details of the case. The police acted swiftly and went to Faizan's home, but he was not found there. A sub-inspector filed a complaint against him at the Jalesar police station. The accused was subsequently arrested and incarcerated. Sub-Inspector Abhishek Kumar, posted at Jalesar Kotwali, filed the report. The police arrested the accused near his house and also confiscated his mobile phone. Circle Officer Gyanendra Pratap Singh stated that the accused had posted content in support of Pakistan on the Instagram account of a Pakistani woman, which was considered an anti-national act. India carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, 2025, destroying nine terrorist camps in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Pahalgam Hindu massacre was a deadly Islamic terrorist attack that took place on April 22, 2025, in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir, where Islamic terrorists specifically targeted Hindu tourists, asking their religion before executing them. India strongly condemned this act of Islamic terrorism, particularly emphasising the brutality of targeting people solely based on their religious identity. The military operation was a firm retaliation aimed at dismantling the terror camps in Pakistan harbouring and training Islamic terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam Hindu massacre.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory 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. This case has been added to the hate crime database as this incident took place during a time of heightened national tension following the Pahalgam Hindu massacre and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor. In the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan-backed Islamic terrorists specifically targeted and killed Hindu pilgrims based on their religion. After which India launched Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam massacre. In this emotionally charged environment, Faizan's public celebration of Pakistan, a country that has always provided a safe haven to Islamic terrorists and also those responsible for the massacre of Hindus in Pahalgam, can be interpreted as a deliberate provocation that appears to glorify or endorse the acts of those responsible for the massacre. The comment of the accused saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' during this time suggests a motive that goes beyond political dissent. By praising Pakistan in the wake of its military escalation and the brutal targeting of Hindus, Faizan shows a clear support for a hostile nation and, by extension, the anti-Hindu violence that prompted India's military response. This messaging had the potential to incite communal unrest and deepen divisions, particularly among local Hindu communities who perceived the act as an affront to the victims of the Pahalgam massacre. This instance reflects deeper religious animosity towards Hindus and India. Taken together, these elements fit the profile of a hate crime, as the act appears motivated by and directed toward provoking communal tension and reinforcing religious hostility. A few people could argue that the comment 'Pakistan Zindabad' can be considered anti-India and pro-Pakistan, but not anti-Hindu. However, making comments like 'Pakistan Zindabad' not only show pro-Pakistan sentiments, but also anti-Hindu sentiments. It is pertinent to note that Muslim extremists harbour specific animosity towards Hindus and their faith and also view India as a Hindu collectivity. The very basis of the partition of India was that the Muslims believed that Islam was a nation unto itself, which could not survive with a Hindu collectivity like India. Further, Muslims often believe in transnational unity - or the Ummah - which is a belief that all Muslims across the world are a nation unto themselves and therefore, loyalty as far as the nation-state is concerned lies with the Muslim collectivity and not with a Hindu collectivity like India. This would also mean that the accused's comment saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' is actually about hailing a Muslim collectivity and an expression of transnational loyalty and anti-Hindu sentiments. For that reason, any slogan which expresses transnational loyalty, faith in the Ummah, is automatically a slogan against Hindus and the Hindu collectivity. Thus, this case is added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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