Rejected by a girl, Muslim youth creates fake social media accounts for ‘revenge’, posts derogatory images of Lord Rama in her name

Case ID : e97a295 | Location : Vadodara, Gujarat, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 13 September, 2023

Case ID : e97a295

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

13 September, 2023

Rejected by a girl, Muslim youth creates fake social media accounts for ‘revenge’, posts derogatory images of Lord Rama in her name

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Case Summary

In the Vadodara city of Gujarat, a Muslim man identified as Iqbal Mian, made a false ID in the name of a girl on social media and posted objectionable images of Lord Shri Ram, which went viral. The accused was in touch with the said girl but was furious after she married someone else. He attacked the girl online with the intention to take revenge. The photos were made viral through the fake ID showing pictures of Lord Rama and a pig and it also contained some objectionable text underneath. According to the reports, the girl’s husband came across the objectionable social media post uploaded from the fake ID and filed a police complaint. The post intended to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. The police took cognisance of the post and arrested the accused, Iqbal Mian, immediately after the complaint was filed.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. Lord Ram is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism. He is considered an incarnation of Vishnu and embodies ideals of righteousness, virtue, and dharma. Depicting him inappropriately or disrespectfully is seen as a direct affront to his divine status and the deep reverence Hindus have for him. Moreover, pigs are considered taboo in Hinduism and associating the Hindu sacred deity Lord Ram with an animal that is considered impure by Hindus is viewed as a profound act of disrespect and sacrilege. Despite being aware of these facts, the Muslim perpetrator purposely posted pictures of Lord Rama and a pig with some objectionable text. This was clearly done with the intent to mock the Hindu faith, underscoring the deep-rooted hatred towards Hinduism in the mind of the perpetrator. Given that the fundamental motivation behind this incident is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.