In an open demonstration of what is usually said behind closed doors by fundamentalist clerics, Muslim cleric Adil Gafoor Ganai indulged in hateful anti-Hindu vitriolic, threatened to behead Nupur Sharma and journalist Ashish Kohli (who tweeted “I stand with Nupur Sharma”), before ending with the standard phrase “our religion (Islam) is peace loving.”

The speech was delivered from Jamia Masjid in Bhaderwah, Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir on behalf of an organisation called Anjuman-e-Islamia. Hindu community came out on the streets on Thursday to protest the dehumanizing and incendiary remarks. There are reports of stone pelting from inside the mosque and homes.

Curfew has now been imposed in the area to control the situation and Army took out a flag march. Incidentally, the same mosque had been in the news around 2 years back after a provocative and seditious speech was made during Friday congregational namaz by Pervaiz Ahmed Sheikh, president of Anjuman-e-Islamia.

This is what Ganai can be heard saying in the above video –

“What is the status of these people who drink cow urine and bathe in dung [referring to Hindus] in the world? Their sustenance (rizq) is due to our [referring to Muslims] grace (barkat). They get air to breathe because of us. They get water from rivers because of us..because of (unintelligible). What else is their existence worth?

“My brothers..(unintelligible) also teach to behead. Keep it in your minds, we’re silent until we are patient. If we become impatient, then Nupur Sharma and that dog Ashish Kohli – their head will be found somewhere else and torso somewhere else. (crowd chants – “Nara-e-Takbir ALLAH-U-AKBAR, Nara-E-Risalat YAA RASULALLAH”). Muslims who declare the prophet’s kalma (oath of allegiance) will come on the ground (battlefield).

“These saffron (referring to all Hindu sadhus and saints?) are also our enemies and this RSS is also our enemy. On behalf of Anjuman-e-Islamia we thank all the people, and even the administration..we are ‘justice-loving’ (sic), they have continued to support us and we expect the same from them in the future also. I ‘appeal for peace’ (sic) from all sisters and brothers.

One final thing. I have said earlier too that these are the elements who disturb the peace by speaking sometimes on Azaan and sometimes on purdah (referring to hijab row). The administration should catch their necks. If it can’t catch hold of their necks, we are ready to cut their throats! (crowd chants ‘undoubtedly’)..we are ready to cut their throats. And I want to tell them – even the lowliest Muslim has so much faith (iman) that he can behead a Brigadier or any powerful person who blasphemes against the prophet.”

Following this a loud shout of “Gustaakh-E-Rasool Ki Ek Hi Saza, Sar Tan Se Juda, Sar Tan Se Juda” arose out of the throng. The cleric concluded, “So the administration should curb such elements, so peace can be maintained. Our religion is a peace-loving religion.”

Nupur Sharma is a former BJP spokesperson who, during a Times Now debate on the findings of the Gyanvapi survey, had quoted from the Islamic hadith to question Muslim panelists like SDPI’s Tasleem Rehmani on how they would feel if their religion was mocked to counter the incessant mocking and derogatory references to the sacred Shivling. Although Nupur had said nothing that Muslim clerics and preachers like Zakir Naik themselves haven’t said, an edited version of the debate was made viral by Islamist propagandist Md. Zubair of Alt News and soon the ever-ready blasphemy sword was dangling over Nupur’s head.

Ashish Kohli is an independent journalist who had tweeted against the rape and death threats raining down on Nupur, stating, “People on social media are giving rape and beheading threats to @NupurSharmaBJP which is not acceptable. #IsupportNupurSharma.” This simple tweet, against barbarism and violence unacceptable to any civilized society, unleashed a barrage of abuses and hate propaganda against him. Many social media accounts, mostly with the word ‘Kashmir’ in their names, cropped out his tweet to only show the line “I stand with Nupur Sharma” and circulated it, reports Swarajya.

Three days ago, two persons named Shamsher Khan and Muzzaffar Malik gave a complaint to Pacca Danga Police Station in Jammu, asking the police to lodge an FIR against Kohli for “hurting the sentiments of Muslims by supporting insulting comments of Nupur Sharma”. Their complaint stated that “by supporting Nupur Sharma, Ashish Kohli has committed the same offences as was committed by her.” This complaint was followed by more such complaints to the police.

Kohli told Swarajya that he had received more than 50 threatening calls from unknown numbers. Police finally seems to have swung into action, lodging a case against cleric Adil Gafoor Ganai under 295-A, 506 IPC. However, whether this translates into any meaningful action seems unlikely, given the nonchalance with which this mosque was functioning despite the 2020 case for provocative and seditious speech.

Violence has been reported over Nupur Sharma’s alleged ‘blasphemous’ comment in Kanpur and other parts of the country. The entire Arab and Muslim world has joined hands on the issue, and Al-Qaeda has threatened Bharat with a string of terror attacks.