Several Muslim social media users on Tuesday, June 11th, engaged in fear-mongering and propagated a false narrative of victimhood by citing three separate incidents of Maulana killings in Uttar Pradesh.
Three Imams who were found dead (Image source: The Kashmiriyat)
In one instance, Democratic Progressive Azad Party spokesperson Salman Nizami connected the killing of a Maulana in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, to the Lok Sabha elections, implying that it was motivated by a political conflict.
In another instance, Nizami utilized these Maulana killings to criticize the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, suggesting that they exploit Muslims for electoral gains but neglect them afterward. His posts hinted at a deliberate targeting of a specific religious community through these murders.
It's worth noting that Salman Nizami is not the only one spreading the misleading notion that Muslim clerics are being "targeted and killed" post-election.
Salman Nizami Comments
“Another Molana killed in UP. As I said, the celebrations over a few seats will turn into misery. In the end, Muslims won’t get a ministry or come into power. Neither will those they voted for speak for them. But they will face the brunt and suffer!,” Nizami posted.
“3 Muslim Maulanas killed in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours: Fazlur Rahman, Maulana Akram, Maulana Farooq. Did Rahul Gandhi or any big leader from Congress speak out? NO. They will only use Muslims to win elections, and Muslims will fall into their trap. That’s why I say Muslims should create their own leadership and speak for themselves!,” Nizami posted.
Some Other Islamist Comments
An X user implied that the consecutive killings of the three imams occurred because Muslims voted for the Congress and Samajwadi Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
Another user of X brought up the incident of a Maulana's murder in Pratapgarh by his neighbor, using it to spread fear that Hindu neighbors could turn against Muslims.
Were three Muslim Maulanas in UP killed for their allegiance to the I.N.D.I. Alliance or simply because of their Muslim identity?
While DPAP leader Salman Nizami and other x users implied that recent killings of three maulanas in separate incidents in UP were religiously motivated, the truth differs significantly. In two cases, land and financial disputes emerged as motives, while in one case, the motive remains unknown.
In the case of Maulana Mohammad Farooq's murder, the general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind in Pratapgarh, he was killed by his neighbor Chandramani Tiwari on June 8th in Sonpur village. According to the victim's son, Tiwari attacked the maulana over a monetary dispute, despite their prior acquaintance. The victim, unsuspectingly, went to meet Tiwari to discuss the issue, only to be brutally killed. Tiwari has been arrested.
It's noteworthy that the victim's son, Mufti Mamoon, denies any communal aspect to the case, despite allegations on social media. Tiwari has been arrested, yet social media groups continue to exploit the situation, while the police investigate 38 WhatsApp groups. Thus, it's evident that contrary to social media claims, Maulana Farooq's murder was not religiously motivated but stemmed from financial disputes.
Though devoid of communal motives, the false narrative attached by Islamists to this incident brings to mind the brutal killing of chemist Umesh Kolhe in 2022. Kolhe was murdered by an Islamist mob for supporting former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Despite Kolhe's prior assistance to one of the accused, Yusuf Khan, the latter conspired to kill him. Similarly, in the murder of Maulana Akram in Moradabad, where the 45-year-old Imam was shot dead on June 11th, efforts are underway to apprehend the assailants, though Islamists are attempting to paint the incident with communal hues.
Comments by the Police
Meanwhile, Jethwara police station SHO, Dharmendra Singh said, “It was neither a property dispute or a communal crime per say, the accused alleged that he had given some money in advance which he wanted to be returned to him.”
Speaking about the matter, Akhalaish Bhadauria, SP City said, “Maulana Akram, the Imam of the Bhensia village’s main mosque, was shot dead. The attacker called him outside his home and shot him, resulting in his death. The deceased Imam was a resident of Rampur district and had been serving as the Imam of the mosque in Bhainsiya village for 15 years.”
Imam Fazlur Rahman was beheaded by his mentally ill Son
In the case concerning the killing of an Imam in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, new details have surfaced indicating that the victim, Fazlur Rahman, was beheaded by his mentally challenged son, Junaid, in Mannamajr village within the jurisdiction of Jhinjhana police station. The tragic incident unfolded while the deceased was searching for his son in the forest. Law enforcement recovered the decapitated body of the victim in the woods, subsequently locating his severed head and the shovel used in the crime. Following a complaint from the slain Maulana's other son, the accused has been charged and detained.
These developments underscore that, contrary to assertions circulating among Islamists on social media, none of the three separate cases involving the killings of Maulanas/Imams were driven by religious motives. Certain individuals on social platforms are exploiting these incidents to stir tensions among Muslims and instigate violence, attempting to connect them with election outcomes and the religious backgrounds of the victims.
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