Ever since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7th October killing over 1300 Israeli civilians and wounding thousands, a significant section of Indian Muslims has expressed solidarity with Palestine even if it means supporting Hamas’s terrorism. In Karnataka, two cases have come to light wherein Muslims were detained for posting pro-Palestine content on social media platforms.
In Mangaluru, a 58-year-old man named Zakir alias Zaki was arrested for making and posting a video supporting Hamas amidst the war with Israel. In a 30-second video, accused Zakir alias Zaki urged people to offer prayers for Hamas terrorists. He also called the terrorists as “patriots”.
The accused who is reportedly a member of the Vishwa Khabarasthan Sangha asked his co-religionists in the organisation to offer namaz for the victory of Hamas, Gaza and Palestine.
Following a complaint lodged by Vishwa Hindu Parishad member Pradeep at the Bunder Police Station, a case was registered against accused Zakir. Complainant Pradeep alleged that Zakir alias Zaki’s remarks incited hate and posed a threat to national security.
The Mangaluru police booked accused Zakir under section Indian Penal Code section 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.). He is currently being held in judicial custody. Zakir is also facing seven more charges, including assault on officials, residential trespass, and kidnapping.
A similar case was reported in the Vijaynagar district of Karnataka wherein a 20-year-old Muslim youth named Alam Pasha was detained for uploading WhatsApp status supporting Palestine and sharing anti-national videos.
Amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, police received information that some people in Vijaynagar’s Hospet showed support for Palestine. It was found during the investigation that they were spreading “anti-national” videos that could have disrupted the law and order in the area.
The police apprehended Alam Pasha as a precautionary measure to prevent the further spread of such videos.
A complaint has been filed against Pasha on grounds of spreading seditious material. Reportedly, Alam Pasha has been detained for interrogation and will appear before an executive magistrate.
In a separate incident in Hospet, a 20-year-old boy named Nawaz was summoned for questioning after he posted a pro-Palestine video as a status on WhatsApp on Thursday (12th October).
On Thursday, police summoned Nawaz for questioning under Sections 108 (security for good behaviour from people spreading seditious material) and 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The police eventually let him go with a warning.
Israel Hamas war
On 7th October, Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organisation, killed over 1,300 Israelis, including 150+ soldiers, women, elderly, and babies on a Jewish holiday. Several foreign nationals were also killed or abducted by Hamas terrorists. Israeli forces are still discovering bodies, some of them were charred to death.
