Attacks on Hindus and Hindu Dharma, both in Bharat and overseas, are frequent and unrelenting. In many regions of the world, this persecution is like a genocide slowly unfolding before our eyes. For decades, the world has ignored the actual depth and breadth of these attacks, driven by disturbing anti-Hindu bigotry. From murders, forced conversions, land grabs, assault on festivals, desecration of temples and murtis, hate speech, and sexual violence to institutionalized & legal discrimination, Hindus are facing an increasing assault on their very existence along with an unprecedented Hindu hatred.

In this weekly summary for the period from 05 November to 11 November 2023, we hope to provide a snapshot of such crimes and hopefully awaken more people around the world to this human rights crisis:

Bharat

1) Construction activity to build shops close to Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar mandir has raised concerns regarding its implications for the heritage and sanctity of the temple.

2) A disturbing incident involving a Muslim man was captured on camera, showing him entering a temple and urinating in close proximity to the Shiv Ling inside. The incident occurred in Kandar village, Murshidabad, and a video of the act has circulated widely on the internet, eliciting strong public condemnation. The police have taken swift action, apprehending the accused, who has been identified as Ara Sheikh, the son of Ratan Sheikh.

3) A case of harassment in the name of religious conversion has come to the fore in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. The victim was so harassed by some youths to convert her to Islam that she committed suicide by hanging herself. The accused, Zohid Akhtar and his friends used to harass her so much that she got fed up and hanged herself. The police have registered a case under POCSO and arrested Zohid, whereas three other accused are still said to be absconding.

4) YouTube news channel News Gallery published a video on the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 where an Islamist identified as Ayaan Qureshi called Hindus insects. Qureshi also claimed that it would get difficult for Hindus once their [Muslim] government is formed at the centre. After the video sparked controversy on social media, Ghaziabad Police took cognisance of the matter and detained Ayaan Qureshi for questioning.

5) Delhi police arrested Barkhat Khan and Rizwan, who had trapped an elderly man in a sextortion racket and extorted him for Rs 12.8 lakh.

6) Muakhir Ali and Sirajul Islam were arrested by Tripura police for kidnapping a minor Hindu girl in Kailashahar.

7) In the latest case of love jihad from Madhya Pradesh, a Muslim named Yusuf trapped a Hindu woman by posing as a Hindu. However, his true identity was revealed due to his Aadhaar card. The case was reported from the Banganga police station area of ​​Indore, where the victim woman lived separately from her husband.

8) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad has arrested two suspected ISIS terrorists, Abdullah Arsalan, 26, and Maaz Bin Tariq, 25, from Aligarh and has brought them to the ATS headquarters in Lucknow for questioning. The duo was allegedly planning terror activities across the state.

9) Killing Diwali, one hearing at a time – SC said its order against bursting of firecrackers was ‘applicable to all states’.

10) Faheem and Suresh were arrested by the police in connection with the murder of a man named Rajesh. The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor. Faheem and Rajesh’s wife were reportedly having an ‘affair’, and she got her husband murdered at the hands of Faheem.

11) Assam Police arrested Congress MLA Aftab Uddin Mollah for making derogatory comments against Hindu Sadhus, Priests and Namghars. In a public meeting, the arrested Congress MLA said, “Sadhus are rapists. Most of the rape cases happen in temple and Namghar.”

12) In a recently reported incident, female students preparing for the Karnataka Public Service Commission examination were mandated to remove their ‘Mangalsutra’ and other traditional Hindu ornaments before entering the examination hall. This directive included earrings, necklaces, and toe rings. It must be highlighted that Muslim candidates wearing hijabs were checked, and they were permitted to enter the examination hall in their hijabs.

13) Local tribal people were in a state of shock, and there was anger when they learned about the heinous incident of the 200-year-old Shiv-Parvati and Lakshmi-Narayan temples being set on fire. It is their only place of worship in the Ratabari area, but it has been reduced to ashes. Islamists are alleged to be behind the incident.

14) Dravidianists spewed casteist slurs on singer Sivasri Skandaprasad.

15) ISIS link to Delhi anti-Hindu Riots becomes deeper with the arrest of AMU’s Wajihuddin Ali Khan.

16) A shocking case of rape of a 10-year-old girl came to the fore in the Phase 1 police station area of ​Uttar Pradesh’s Noida. The accused is the girl’s neighbour, doctor Shehzad.

17) In a molestation incident in Surat, a 17-year-old Hindu girl reported being molested by a 24-year-old male beautician named Shahrukh Shah at the Javed Habib salon located in Shiv Kartik Enclave on VIP Road. According to police accounts, on the 5th of November, the victim, accompanied by her mother, visited the salon.

18) The alleged rape and murder of a minor Hindu girl by Muslims triggered anger in Bengal district adjoining Kolkata.

19) NIA chargesheet revealed how the accused in the Pune ISIS module, one of whom was connected to Sharjeel Imam, wanted to kill kafirs, and considered Constitution haraam, among other things

20) In a shocking case of love jihad in Lucknow, Mohammad Mazhar posed as Rahul to entrap a Hindu woman. He later raped and pressurised her to convert to Islam.

21) Attacks on Hindu temple continues in West Bengal. This time, unknown miscreants cut off the head of Bhagwan Shiva murti at Srihatta village under the jurisdiction of Baranya Police Station of Murshidabad district. 

22) In a series of revelations related to the functioning of madrasas in Uttarakhand, a surprising truth has once again surfaced. Incredibly, more than 700 Hindu students are currently receiving Islamic education in schools across the state.

Pakistan

Abduction, rape, forced conversion, and marriage of minor Hindu girls are common occurrences in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. At least 1,000 minority girls suffer such sex slavery every year in Sindh province alone. Apart from this, Pakistani Hindus face systemic and institutionalized discrimination and neglect, such as frequent attacks on Hindu temples, demonization of education curriculum, police and judicial antipathy, denial of fundamental rights, and even untouchability. This latest instance of the brutal rape and murder of a Bheel woman in Pakistan is yet another proof of the pitiable condition of Hindu minorities in Pakistan.

1) In a recent incident in Samaro, Sindh, a blind young woman named Anita Meghwar, daughter of Lalu Meghwar, aged 18 years, a resident of Wahid Colony in Naukot, was allegedly kidnapped, subjected to sexual assault, and forcibly converted to Islam. The accused in this case is identified as “Mohammed Ayub,” also known by aliases such as Peer Jan Sarhandi and Baba Sai. Anita was reportedly married to a man named Afzal Ali.

World

1) Canadian PM Justin Trudeau again equated the Hindu holy symbol Swastika with Nazi Hakenkreuz, a symbol of hate.

2) An Indian Hindu family has been attacked several times by extremists since July this year, but the local police refused to register a case of ‘hate crime.’ The incident took place in the West Midlands county of England. The victims were identified as Ramana Nagumalli, his wife Radhika Kulkarni and their 8-year-old daughter.

Most hate crimes are driven by anti-Hindu bigotry encoded in certain religious teachings and political ideologies. While the anti-Hindu hate in Islamic countries is evident, there is another subtler form of anti-Hindu sentiment within institutions and the public sphere of ostensibly secular states (like India) that provides an enabling environment for Hinduphobia and hate crimes. This subtle, everyday discrimination can be missed unless one studies prevailing laws and patterns. The gradual ban on firecrackers during Diwali is a good example – it might seem pollution-related on the surface. Still, the double standards at play become apparent when one looks at the larger picture of restrictions on Hindu festivals and the lack of sound reasoning behind the ban.

We request all readers to share other anti-Hindu hate crimes that we might have missed in this period in the comments below or by emailing [email protected]. We also solicit support in maintaining the Hindu human rights tracker database.