Non-Muslim children made to wear Islamic caps and practice Namaz on Bakrid
Gujarat, India 
29 June, 2023
Case Summary
Two incidents in Gujarat schools surfaced where children were instructed to practice teaching Namaz on Bakrid. One incident occurred at Pearl School in Mundra, Kutch, where students were filmed practicing Namaz with Namaji caps. This video went viral on social media, sparking public outrage. The District Education Officer initiated an investigation into the matter, promising serious action if wrongdoing was found, including possible cancellation of school recognition. The team will conduct inquiries with parents, students, and school management. In Mahesana, a similar incident occurred at a private English medium school, leading to uproar among parents and Hindu organizations. Children were reportedly taught how to offer Namaz, with parents providing photos as evidence. Demonstrations were held outside the school, and Ramdhun and Hanuman Chalisa were recited as protests.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. In this specific case, it is evident from the details that the Hindu victim was a minor which essentially means that the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was missing ab initio. Also, the parents of the victims testified that their children were being made to wear skull caps and offer Namaz, a subtle way adopted by the school authorities to indoctrinate children. The distinct components of brainwashing and indoctrination demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and their deliberate attempt to alienate the victims from their religious identity. Since the underlying offence in this case, is against children of a specific faith and involves indoctrination and illegal conversion, this case is being categorised under the primary category of Predatory Proselytisation.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
