Hindu Temple attacked and vandalised by Muslims participating in their religious procession
Kaimur District, Bihar, India 
28 July, 2023
Case Summary
Members of the Muslim community participating in a Muharram procession vandalised a Hindu temple in the Kaimur district of Bihar. Two groups engaged in a confrontation during the procession, initially involving verbal exchanges and later escalating to physical attacks with sticks and stones. The Muslims specifically targeted a Hindu temple during the altercation and also threw stones at the police upon their arrival at the scene. The police resorted to using force to disperse the crowd. Witnesses informed local media that the miscreants desecrated the temple of Lord Shiv, tore the sacred temple flag, and damaged vehicles parked in the vicinity. As a result of the attack on the sacred site by the Muslims participating in the Tazia procession, Hindus panicked and sought refuge in their homes.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under two prime categories of the tracker because of the various distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith. The first prime category selected, as per case specifics, is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the first sub-category selected 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. 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 here is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. 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 selected, as per case specifics, is 'Attack not resulting in death' and within that, the sub-category selected is 'Communal clash'. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore, can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious, however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. This incident in Bihar’s Kaimur district has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime due to the targeting of a Hindu temple during a Muharram procession by members of the Muslim community. The deliberate desecration of the temple, including tearing a sacred flag and damaging surrounding property, signifies animosity toward Hindu religious symbols. It is pertinent to note here that the attack was completely unprovoked as Hindus had not demanded that the Muslim devotees stop their expression of grief, therefore, it was the Muslims who had launched the attack against the Hindu place of worship despite any sort of provocation. Only after the attack on the temple, the Hindus acted in retaliation. Due to the perpetrator's obvious contempt for the victim's faith, this case qualifies for documentation under this hate tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
