On June 13, Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of propaganda website AltNews, deleted or deactivated his Facebook profile (AltNewsZubair) after his Hinduphobic posts went viral on several social media platforms. He removed the page from the platform allegedly after a Twitter user, the hawkeye, posted a thread about how Zubair had been posting blatantly Hinduphobic posts.
Interestingly, Zubair has been a frontrunner in fanning the controversy around alleged derogatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. However, his parody page ‘Unofficial: Subramanian Swamy’ is still active.
OpIndia had reported on Sunday that Zubair had himself mocked Hindu Gods and beliefs while leading an online campaign accusing people of insulting Islamic beliefs. In one of the tweets shared by The Hawk Eye, Zubair is seen mocking Shivling and comparing it with the top view of the Vatican City. He said the post comparing Shivling with the Vatican City inspired him to come up with a parody Facebook page, ‘Unofficial: Subramanian Swamy’ in 2014.
Apparently, one of the posts on the Facebook page ‘Unofficial Mohammed Zubair‘ mocks Arun Govil to take a swipe at Lord Ram, suggesting that ISRO must consult the actor because he would know more about the rocketry.
Another post by ‘Unofficial Mohammed Zubair’ shows an aeroplane under water with the caption: “Breaking: Underwater Pushpak Vimana used by Raavan 5000 years found in the Indian Ocean.”
Besides ridiculing Hindu Gods, Zubair has also poked fun at Hindu beliefs and even mocked Sanskrit, the ancient language that forms the basis of Hindu texts.
Interestingly, this is not the first time someone has pointed out how Zubair has been fanning hate and posting Hinduphobic posts. In 2018, a Twitter user TheSwartzLegacy posted a few tweets alarming authorities about his posts but no action was taken against him. In a now-deleted post TheSwartzLegacy wrote, “Dear UP Police in yet another example, Jihadi propagandist Zubair tried to instigate innocent Indian Muslims by claiming that CM Yogi Adityanath is using UP as a laboratory for Civil War. Zubair is dangerously manipulative and a threat to the peace of India.”
In other posts, TheSwartzLegacy demonstrated how Zubair, through his troll page “Unofficial: Subramanian Swamy” attempted caste-based propaganda in Gujarat and insulted the 1857 Mutiny. Zubair not only mocked and insulted Hindus but also the freedom fighters of India.
Zubair’s propaganda-filled campaign against Nupur Sharma
It is ironic that the posts by Zubair came to light days after he dog-whistled Islamists over alleged ‘blasphemy’ committed by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against the Islamic prophet. Sharma was at the receiving end of online harassment as indoctrinated Islamists on social media descended on her timeline, abusing her and issuing death threats to her and her family.
A few days later, the propaganda spread to Islamic countries, with many Gulf nations, which themselves have a poor record in religious freedom themselves, sanctimoniously protesting against the remarks on Prophet Muhammad that were derived from Islamic Hadiths.
The controversy culminated with widespread violence across different parts of India as Islamists in several towns and cities across the country took to the streets, going on a rampage and indulging in violence, vandalism, and arson.
