On Tuesday, 11th June, several Muslim social media users resorted to fear-mongering and peddling false victimhood using three separate incidents of killing of maulanas in Uttar Pradesh.
In an X post, Democratic Progressive Azad Party spokesperson Salman Nizami somehow linked the killing of a Maulana in UP’s Moradabad to Lok Sabha elections insinuating that the Maulana was killed over a political dispute.
“Another Molana killed in UP. As I said, the celebrations over a few seats will turn into misery. In the end, Muslims won’t get a ministry or come into power. Neither will those they voted for speak for them. But they will face the brunt and suffer!,” Nizami posted.
Another Molana killed in UP. As I said, the celebrations over a few seats will turn into misery. In the end, Muslims won't get a ministry or come into power. Neither will those they voted for speak for them. But they will face the brunt and suffer! pic.twitter.com/V8rLO4olyv
— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) June 11, 2024
In another post, Nizami used the incidents of the killing of Maulanas to question the silence of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi alleging that they only use Muslims during the election and abandon them later. His posts insinuated that the murders were planned and targeted at a specific religious group.
“3 Muslim Maulanas killed in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours: Fazlur Rahman, Maulana Akram, Maulana Farooq. Did Rahul Gandhi or any big leader from Congress speak out? NO. They will only use Muslims to win elections, and Muslims will fall into their trap. That’s why I say Muslims should create their own leadership and speak for themselves!,” Nizami posted.
Notably, Salman Nizami is not alone in peddling the false narrative that after elections Muslim clerics are being “targeted and killed”.
An X user insinuated that the three imams were killed back to back since Muslims voted for the Congress and Samajwadi Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
“Pic 1: Maulana Farooq murdered in Pratapgarh,UP. Pic 2: Maulana Akram shod dead in Moradabad,UP. Pic 3: Imam Fazlur’s body found in Shamli,UP. Back to back 3 Imams killed. Tell me these clerics were not eliminated because of Muslims voting in favour of Rahul and Akhilesh in UP,” the X user Tanvir wrote.
Another X user, mentioned the case of the killing of a Maulana in Pratapgarh by his neighbour to fear monger that Hindu neighbours can become the enemies of Muslims.
Were three Muslim maulanas killed in UP for voting for I.N.D.I. Alliance or for their Muslim identity?
While several x users including DPAP leader Salman Nizami insinuated that the three maulanas killed in separate incidents in UP recently were somehow targeted in religiously motivated crimes, the reality is totally different. In two of the three said cases the land and monetary dispute has emerged as the motive behind the killing while in one case unknown attackers killed a maulana and the motive of the killing is yet to be ascertained.
In the murder case of Maulana Mohammad Farooq, the general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind in Pratapgarh, he was killed in Sonpur village on 8th June by his neighbour Chandramani Tiwari. As per the deceased victim’s son, the accused hit the maulana on his head with axe and iron rods over a monetary dispute. Since the maulana knew the accused and helped him with work and finances, the victim did not suspect any foul play and went to meet Tiwari when he called him to discuss the land and monetary issue, however, the accused brutally attacked the maulana and killed him. The accused has been arrested.
It is pertinent to note that the deceased Maulana’s son Mufti Mamoon has said that there is no communal angle to the case even though some locals and Islamists on social media are alleging that it was a communally motivated crime. Meanwhile, Jethwara police station SHO, Dharmendra Singh said, “It was neither a property dispute or a communal crime per say, the accused alleged that he had given some money in advance which he wanted to be returned to him.”
The accused Chandramani Tiwari has been arrested and sent to jail by the court. Reports say that several social media groups are using the deceased Maulana’s pictures and videos to give the matter a communal colour and incite violence in the area. Meanwhile, SHO Dharmendra Singh has said that the police is looking into 38 such WhatsApp groups. Thus, it is clear that contrary to the claims made by Islamists on social media, the brutal killing of Maulana Farooq was not motivated by religious hatred or animosity but due to financial disputes.
While this incident had no communal angle, the false claims Islamists attached to it remind one of the brutal killing of chemist Umesh Kolhe in 2022, by a bloodthirsty Islamist mob when he was on his way back home after shutting his store. The 54-year-old man was mercilessly murdered for sharing a social media post supporting former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma. It was reported that one of the accused Yusuf Khan was a good friend of Kolhe and the victim helped Khan with money during his daughter’s wedding and children’s admissions. Despite this, the Khan conspired to kill Kolhe. As reported earlier, Islamists had stabbed Kolhe on the left side of his neck.
In the murder case of Maulana Akram in Moradabad, the 45-year-old Imam of Badi Masjid was shot dead on 11th June by unidentified assailants in Bhensia village. The victim was shot in the chest in the wee hours of Tuesday. The attacker called the victim outside his house and shot him in the chest. The police have said that the efforts are on to arrest the accused.
Speaking about the matter, Akhalaish Bhadauria, SP City said, “Maulana Akram, the Imam of the Bhensia village’s main mosque, was shot dead. The attacker called him outside his home and shot him, resulting in his death. The deceased Imam was a resident of Rampur district and had been serving as the Imam of the mosque in Bhainsiya village for 15 years.”
Meanwhile, SHO Katghar police station Tejveer Singh has said that an FIR has been registered in the matter against unknown persons, however, it seems that the accused was known to the deceased victim.
The Islamists are giving a communal colour to this incident even though the police are still investigating the reason behind the Imam’s killing and searching for the accused.
Imam Fazlur Rahman was beheaded by his mentally ill son
In the case of an Imam’s killing in UP’s Shamli district, it has emerged that the victim Fazlur Rahman was beheaded by his mentally challenged son Junaid in Mannamajr village under Jhinjhana police station precinct. The incident occurred while the deceased had gone to the jungle to look for his son. The victim’s headless body was recovered by the police in a jungle. Later, the police found the deceased victim’s head and the spade used by the accused to kill his father. On the complaint of the slain maulana’s other son, the accused has been booked and arrested.
It is thus clear, that contrary to the false victimhood peddled by Islamists on social media, none of the three separate cases involving the killing of maulanas/imams were religiously motivated crimes. Some social media users are using the incidents to provoke Muslims and incite violence by linking it to election results and the religious identity of the victims.
