Muslims damage under construction Hindu temple, assault Hindu construction workers

Case ID : e97a2ce | Location : Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 20 September, 2023

Case ID : e97a2ce

Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

20 September, 2023

Muslims damage under construction Hindu temple, assault Hindu construction workers

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Attack on Temples

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim

Case Summary

In Maheshpur Village, Niyazi, Saddam, and Abrar attacked the Hindu construction workers building a temple. They also kicked the idols of the deity that were housed here. Saddam was taken into custody and an FIR was filed in this case. The police had launched a manhunt to nab the other absconding accused. The victim, Suresh said in the complaint that Saddam threatened to kill him and another construction worker named Chandrapal. When Suresh protested, Saddam started abusing him. He entered the temple and started kicking the idol of the goddess placed there. Due to the ensuing commotion, Mahesh and his wife Munni Devi, who lives in the neighbourhood, reached out to help Suresh. Saddam beat them both as well. Munni Devi's clothes were also torn. Saddam's aides Niazi and Abrar also reached the incident site and started assaulting the Hindus.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added under two prime categories of the tracker. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representation. Under this, two prime categories have been selected. The first is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category selected under the aforementioned prime category is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. 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. The second prime category relevant here is- Attack not resulting in death, and within this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. This case is classified as a **hate crime motivated by religion** under multiple categories, highlighting the deliberate targeting of the Hindu community and their religious practices. Firstly, the incident qualifies as an **attack on a temple**, as the perpetrators directly targeted a sacred site under construction, entering the premises and engaging in violent disruption. Secondly, it involves the **desecration of a Hindu religious symbol**, as the accused kicked and disrespected the deity's idol, an act that showcases deep contempt and hostility towards Hindu beliefs and sacred symbols. Lastly, the case falls under the category of individuals being **attacked for opposing radicals**, as the victims, including construction workers and neighbors who intervened, were assaulted and threatened for standing up against the perpetrators’ actions. This combination of targeted violence, desecration, and intimidation underscores the perpetrators' animosity toward the Hindu community and their religion.