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 25 August to 31 August 2024, we hope to provide a snapshot of such crimes and hopefully awaken more people around the world to this human rights crisis:

Bharat

1) Two heinous cases of teachers sexually assaulting their minor female students have come to light from Uttar Pradesh. In Meerut, a headmaster named Jamal Kamil (50) has been arrested for molesting a minor Scheduled Caste (SC) girl inside a government school. The victim is an 11-year-old girl currently studying in Class Fourth. In Rampur, a tuition teacher named Syed Wasik Ali has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl.

2) In a disturbing case that has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Ghaziabad, the police have arrested a man on charges of love jihad after he allegedly deceived a woman doctor. Islamist Dr. Abdur Rahman from Shahjahanpur, Meerut, was found to have manipulated the victim, a doctor originally from Odisha, into marrying him by feigning religious conversion.  

3) A harrowing and brutal incident has emerged from Karkala, where a woman was violently assaulted and raped by an Islamist man who initially befriended her on Instagram. The police apprehended Islamist Altaf in connection with the abduction and rape of a 21-year-old Hindu woman in Karkala town, located in Udupi district, Karnataka. Altaf, along with his accomplices, were involved in the crime.

4) Chaos erupted in a high-rise society in Ghaziabad after some outsiders brutally assaulted the security guard of the society. They had assembled at a woman’s flat in the society for ‘Quran Path’ (recitation). The development sparked controversy as other society residents said a conspiracy was happening to convert the woman’s flat into a Madrassa. They added that the religious gathering took place there without permission.

5) Niyaz opened fire in broad daylight killing Man Singh and injuring three others. The incident occurred in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh District. Man Singh’s brother, father, and a neighbour were injured in the firing. Man Singh died on the spot while his brother Sanjeev, father Madanlal, and neighbour Mangilal were injured. Angered villagers blocked the highway demanding action against Niyaz and other accused.

6) Tripura witnessed communal violence over Mandir desecration. Devi Kali’s murti was found beheaded in Katraibari village in the Ranirbazar area. 

7) In UP’s Bareilly district, a Hindu youth and a burqa-clad Muslim girl were attacked by a group of Islamists while they were sitting together in a garden. A video of the incident shows the duo being confronted by several men who approached them aggressively, demanding their identification details. The men, identified as Islamists, slapped both the Hindu youth and the Muslim girl and insisted on seeing their Aadhaar cards.

8) A disturbing case of love jihad has emerged from Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh, where an Islamist man deceived and raped a Hindu girl by pretending to be a Hindu. Introducing himself as “Jackie,” Zakir initially gained her trust through social media interactions. Eventually, he visited her room in Delhi under the pretence of discussing studies and brought along food and cold drinks. The drinks were allegedly spiked, causing the victim to lose consciousness, which Islamist Zakir then exploited to sexually assault her. He also recorded videos and took photos of the incident. 

9) Tensions escalated in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara after the severed tail of a cow was found outside a Mandir sparking outrage among the local community. A large crowd gathered, leading to a volatile situation where stones were thrown at shops and police officers.

10) In Delhi, Mohammad Sharif raped a 12-year-old girl in a graveyard but the media gave it a Hindu spin by referring to him as a ‘Tantrik.’

11) In a recent development in Gangavati, Karnataka, the Congress state government ordered the removal of bow and arrow symbols installed on electric poles in the town, which is closely associated with the birthplace of Anjaneya (Sri Hanuman) in Kishkinde, Hampi. The order, which was seen as a response to protests by Islamist leaders affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), claimed that these symbols were inappropriate and could incite communal tensions. Following widespread public outcry and protests, the order was ultimately rescinded.

12) Assam’s Barpeta Police arrested Sanidul Hoque alias Mridul Ahmed (20) for uploading inflammatory content on social media that offended Hindu religious sentiments and incited communal hatred.

13) A horrifying instance of psychopathic criminal activity directed towards a Hindu minor girl has surfaced from the Umargam locality in Valsad, Gujarat. Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, an Islamist man by the name of Ghulam Mustafa has been charged with raping a three-year-old girl who happens to be the daughter of his ‘close Hindu friend.’

13) Manipal Police swiftly arrested a 22-year-old man from Bhatkal within 24 hours of the attempted rape of a young Hindu woman aboard a train. The accused, identified as Mohammed Shuraim, was apprehended following a thorough investigation, highlighting the growing concerns about women’s safety in public spaces.

Bangladesh

Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are relentless and designed to cleanse the religious minority from the country gradually. According to a study by Prof. Abul Barakat of Dhaka University, no Hindus will be left in Bangladesh by 2050 due to systemic and institutionalized persecution. Temple desecration, land grabbing, mob attacks after false blasphemy charges, rape/forced conversion of women, and hate speech are tools used to intimidate and drive Hindus out.

1) Madrasa student 18-year-old Rabbi Hossain was caught by locals while vandalising the third Mandir after smashing murtis and other items in two Mandirs and handed over to the police. The incident took place in the Mandirs of Pakuria and Kaligram areas of the Rajshahi Bagha Upazila.

2) While Bangladesh is grappling with a ravaging flood, a video went viral wherein a Maulvi is seen cutting off a sacred thread from a child’s neck in exchange for some relief material. The video is reportedly from Noakhali.

World

1) In a grand ceremony on August 18, 2024, a 90-foot-tall murti of Bhagwan Hanuman, named the “Statue of Union,” was unveiled at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Mandir in Sugar Land, Texas. On the day of the Pran Pratishtha, a local church group entered the premises of the Sri Ashtalakshmi Mandir to protest the recently unveiled Hanumanji murti.

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 hindupost.in@gmail.com. We also solicit support in maintaining the Hindu human rights tracker database.