On September 19, the Muslim Council of Britain issued a press statement calling for action against the Hindu community over the anti-Hindu attacks in Leicester. In the statement signed by Secretary-General of the council Zara Mohammed, a Scottish faith leader of Pakistani origin, the MCB called Hindus’ far-right extremists’ for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram. This, while Hindus of Leicester were attacked repeatedly amidst chants of Allahu Akbar.
MCB expressed concerns over the ‘rise of violent right-wing Hindutva extremism’ in the locality while completely ignoring the fact that Hindus, their houses, and businesses were repeatedly attacked since it all started. The statement read, “In the past few days, there has been a heightening of tensions among the diverse communities of Leicester, as concerns grow about the rise of violent right-wing Hindutva extremism taking root locally.”
PRESS RELEASE: Muslim Council of Britain calls for action against far-right Hindutva extremism in #Leicester | 19th September 2022
— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) September 19, 2022
🔗Read online: https://t.co/9gxSOEisWO pic.twitter.com/hDLGm3hJgi
While insinuating that Hindus attacked not only Muslims but also Sikhs in the area, the council said, “On Saturday, September 17, groups of balaclava-clad men led a march, chanting slogans rooted in Hindutva nationalist supremacism, along Green Lane Road – a predominantly Muslim and Sikh populated area.”
It blamed Hindus for ‘provoking’ Muslims by ‘chanting outside Mosques’ and said, “This follows a series of provocations, including chanting outside Mosques, targeted mob attacks on Muslims, and vandalism to homes and businesses over recent months. Groups of young people from both communities have subsequently come out on the streets to protest, resulting in physical altercations and running battles.”
It is important to note here that what the Muslim Council of Britain called “Hindutva chant” was simply “Jai Shree Ram”, which means Glory to Lord Ram. This religious chant of Hindus has been branded as a “war cry” without any basis, simply to demonise Hindus. Besides, they deemed the mere presence of Hindus and their religious chant as “provocation” because their protest march passed a mosque, almost echoing the sentiment that any area where Muslims exist is a no-go zone for non-Muslims because that itself would be considered a provocation for violence. This, while the Muslim community demands that their chant, Allahu Akbar, which is often used during terror attacks, is one that must be normalised by all non-Muslims.
Zara Mohammad added to the statement claiming Hindus wanted to propagate the “Hindutva agenda” in the region. She said, “Communities have expressed their deep concerns to me around the propaganda perpetuated by far-right groups in India and their Hindutva agenda, which we are now seeing expressed on British streets. These provocations have targeted Muslims, Sikhs, and other minorities and, as a result, instigated hostilities between local communities in Leicester.”
Attack on Hindus by using ‘Hindutva’ as a proxy for Hindus
In recent times, there has been an increase in incidents where Hindus, as a community, have been attacked by propagandists by using ‘Hindutva’ as a proxy for Hindus. Hindutva which merely espouses political unity of Hindus is being used as a term to demonize Hindus across the world. While the Hinduphobic attacks are on the rise not only in India but across several nations, many have tried to showcase that the Hindus, as a community, are not under any threat. However, the reality is far from what is being propagated. The incident of Leicester is one of the finest examples of how a peace-loving community is being shown in a bad light.
Horror at Leicester: Targeted attacks on Hindus and Misinformation campaigns
Leicester City in England’s East Midlands region has witnessed a sharp increase in targeted attacks against the Hindu community. The orgy of violence by Islamists began soon after India clinched victory against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup on August 28.
According to a Hindu organisation (@INSIGHTUK2), a casual banter between Indian fans and Pakistani supporters turned serious when the latter snatched and disrespected the Indian tricolour. It was later revealed that the person who snatched and desecrated the Indian flag was a Sikh man. Hindus had later assuaged the situation by tending to him in a cafe. Soon after, the police took cognisance of the matter but added to the raging misinformation by Islamists that religious slurs were hurled in Hindi.
India and Pakistan again met at the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. After Pakistan succeeded in settling scores on the field, its supporters attacked a Hindu home celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi.
The accused men also received overwhelming support from their co-religionists on social media. Homes, cars, and properties belonging to the Hindu community, which were easily identifiable with sacred symbols, were damaged. In order to control the situation, Chief Superintendent Adam Slonecki granted dispersal and stop search powers to the police.
Recently, a Hindu temple came under attack by Islamists in Leicester. In a viral video, one extremist was seen uprooting a saffron flag affixed to the temple structure. On September 16, the police informed that a total of 27 people were arrested in connection with the violence.
Meanwhile, the Islamists resorted to making outlandish claims to deviate public discourse from the targeted attacks on Hindus. While speaking to Opindia, research scholar Sarah L Gates said, “This was a planned clean out aka religious cleansing. They want to purge Hindus.”
Hindus in Leicester are now at the mercy of the police for their safety. With motivated news publications and Islamist groups portraying them as the perpetrators, they are left to fend for themselves.
