Following Taraweeh prayers, a special prayer offered after sunset during the month of Ramadan, a group of Muslim worshippers in ahmedabad, Gujarat, were reportedly harassed and stoned by Hindutva fanatics. On Monday, march 3, after ramzan prayers in the late evening, the crowd was heading home when the tragedy occurred precisely in the Vatva region.
The eyewitness told reporters about the heinousness of the assault, saying that shortly after they left the mosque in the evening, the radicals attacked without warning and threw stones at the crowd.
They further said that the attackers attacked everyone, including children and elderly people, and had them shout "Jai Shri Ram" while brandishing knives. Slogans advocating violence against Muslims, particularly those wearing skull caps, were also yelled at by the assailants.
"A hail of stones descended from neighboring roofs as worshippers exited the mosque. A few of the attackers then abruptly materialized in front of us brandishing knives. The witness informed reporters, "They threatened us, including the children, to chant the Hindu jai Shri Ram."
Three Muslim males were hurt in the incident, according to the witnesses, including a 17-year-old lad who was hit in the back by a stone. "The attack, which was totally based on religious hatred, has rendered the local Muslims in fear, with many concerned for their safety during the late evening Taraweeh prayers", they stated.
Frustration over police inaction
The victims bemoaned the police's lack of response, saying that when they tried to report the incident, the police would not identify any suspects and instead listed them as "unknown persons."
Police allegedly attempted to persuade another victim to alter their testimonies in order to prevent the situation from getting worse.
To protect the safety of worshipers at night, the local Muslims have called for police monitoring in their regions until the conclusion of the holy month, in addition to the inquiry into the incident.
One victim has voiced his disapproval of the discriminatory behavior, saying that the Muslim community would have been humiliated and labeled as anti-national if the attack had been directed at Hindu worshippers. In the opposite scenario, we would be labeled anti-national. The Observer Post reported a victim as saying, "In this case, the accused were released almost immediately, with their faces covered, and no real action was taken."
According to several local Muslims, some of the attackers had instagram profiles that were full of inflammatory rhetoric and sword battles that targeted the Muslim community. "Despite the visible threats, the police don't take any actions against them," they stated. The ahmedabad police are yet to issue any statements regarding the incident.
The eyewitness told reporters about the heinousness of the assault, saying that shortly after they left the mosque in the evening, the radicals attacked without warning and threw stones at the crowd.
They further said that the attackers attacked everyone, including children and elderly people, and had them shout "Jai Shri Ram" while brandishing knives. Slogans advocating violence against Muslims, particularly those wearing skull caps, were also yelled at by the assailants.
"A hail of stones descended from neighboring roofs as worshippers exited the mosque. A few of the attackers then abruptly materialized in front of us brandishing knives. The witness informed reporters, "They threatened us, including the children, to chant the Hindu jai Shri Ram."
Three Muslim males were hurt in the incident, according to the witnesses, including a 17-year-old lad who was hit in the back by a stone. "The attack, which was totally based on religious hatred, has rendered the local Muslims in fear, with many concerned for their safety during the late evening Taraweeh prayers", they stated.
Frustration over police inaction
The victims bemoaned the police's lack of response, saying that when they tried to report the incident, the police would not identify any suspects and instead listed them as "unknown persons."
Police allegedly attempted to persuade another victim to alter their testimonies in order to prevent the situation from getting worse.
To protect the safety of worshipers at night, the local Muslims have called for police monitoring in their regions until the conclusion of the holy month, in addition to the inquiry into the incident.
One victim has voiced his disapproval of the discriminatory behavior, saying that the Muslim community would have been humiliated and labeled as anti-national if the attack had been directed at Hindu worshippers. In the opposite scenario, we would be labeled anti-national. The Observer Post reported a victim as saying, "In this case, the accused were released almost immediately, with their faces covered, and no real action was taken."
According to several local Muslims, some of the attackers had instagram profiles that were full of inflammatory rhetoric and sword battles that targeted the Muslim community. "Despite the visible threats, the police don't take any actions against them," they stated. The ahmedabad police are yet to issue any statements regarding the incident.
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