Communal tensions have flared in Satara, Maharashtra, following the appearance of provocative posters urging Islamists to prepare for a “Battle of Karbala” against “tyrants,” a term implicitly directed at Hindus. The alarming posters, spotted at a busy square, have heightened concerns about potential unrest.
The Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), shared images of these posters on their X handle. The slogans on the posters call on Islamists to not be afraid, asserting that “the final battle of Karbala is yet to come” and referring to opponents as “tyrants.”
One of the posters reads, “Don’t be afraid, Muslims. The honour of the Almighty remains, Islam is still alive, and the Quran endures. What do these tyrants think of themselves for clashing with us daily? The final battle of Karbala is yet to come.”
The LRO’s official X account highlighted the issue, noting the posters’ placement in Karad, Satara, and questioning whether SP Samir Sheikh would take action. The LRO also called on prominent leaders, including Devendra Fadnavis, Amit Shah, and PM Modi, to address the situation.
The Battle of Karbala, originally fought between Shia and Sunni Muslims, is frequently invoked as a rallying cry to mobilize Muslims against infidels
The Battle of Karbala, a historical conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims, has often been used as a rallying cry by extremists to mobilize against perceived infidels. This historical reference is being repurposed in the current context to incite hostility towards Hindus. The battle saw the army of the second Umayyad Caliph, Yazid I, representing the Sunnis, clash with a small force led by Husayn Ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. The conflict arose as Sunnis viewed Shias as heretics and apostates. Shia Muslims see the Battle of Karbala as marking a definitive split from Sunni Islam.
Although the Battle of Karbala was a Shia-Sunni conflict, it is often appropriated by Islamist extremists as a rallying cry against Hindus. These extremists use the devastation of Karbala to threaten and intimidate non-Muslims (kafirs) with genocidal rhetoric.
Based on OpIndia reports, in a related incident from January this year, Islamist Mufti Salman Azhari made inflammatory remarks against Hindus in a speech in Junagadh, Gujarat. He referred to the “final battle of Karbala” and used derogatory language to describe Hindus. Azhari’s speech came shortly after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a site of significant religious and historical contention.
Similarly, in January 2023, Gulam Rasool Balyavi, a Janata Dal (United) MLC, threatened to turn cities into “Karbala” if any disrespect was shown towards Prophet Muhammad. Balyavi’s remarks were in response to comments made by former BJP politician Nupur Sharma about the Prophet, which had previously incited global outrage and threats.
These incidents reflect a troubling trend of using historical and religious references to incite violence and deepen communal divides. The emergence of inflammatory posters in Satara, Maharashtra, calling for a “Battle of Karbala” against so-called “tyrants,” underscores a disturbing trend of radical Islamist rhetoric aimed at inciting violence and deepening communal divides. By invoking historical conflicts like the Battle of Karbala, extremists are repurposing these events to mobilize hatred against Hindus, casting them as modern-day infidels to be fought against.
This pattern is not isolated. Incidents like Mufti Salman Azhari’s inflammatory speech in Gujarat and Gulam Rasool Balyavi’s threats in Jharkhand reveal a calculated effort by radical elements to stoke communal tensions and provoke violence. The repeated references to historical battles and the use of derogatory language towards Hindus are clear attempts to rally support for extremist causes, potentially leading to acts of genocide.
