• In Gujarat, Hindutva extremists attacked Muslim worshippers—including children—with stones as they attended and departed from Tarawih prayers.
• Some residents were forced to chant Hindu slogans at knifepoint. Despite these recurring attacks, authorities have consistently failed to take action.
On Monday, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Hindutva supremacists brutally attacked Muslim worshippers with stones as they made their way to Tarawih prayers and as they left the mosque. Tarawih is the nightly congregational prayer performed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.
Witnesses reported that the mob deliberately singled out individuals wearing skull caps, including defenceless and vulnerable children.
Masked thugs also threw stones at Muslim homes. Some residents state that they were forced to chant Hindu slogans such as “Jai Shree Ram” at knifepoint.
Locals assert that such attacks happen every Ramadan, yet authorities consistently fail to act against the perpetrators which is why many Muslims have stopped reporting such incidents.
Translation: The Muslim worshipper here calls for Muslims to be left in peace to practice their faith during the holy month of Ramadan. He describes how, after Tarawih prayers, masked Hindutva extremists have been attacking worshippers as they peacefully leave the masjid. Although the Muslim community has reported this incident to the police, no action has been taken. He further explains that such attacks against the Muslim community occur every Ramadan.
India comprises of 79.80% hindus and the second largest majority faith group being 14.23% muslim. We have long recognised the insidious legacy of Hindutva-driven oppression that has systematically subjugated Muslims for decades. In a stark repudiation of India’s self-proclaimed democratic credentials, US-based non-profit Freedom House—renowned for its annual evaluations of global political rights and civil liberties—downgraded the nation in 2021 from being a free democracy. The report found that there was an increase in intimidation against activists and journalists, and a worrying surge of attacks against minorities, especially against Muslims. This, they add, has led to a deterioration of political and civil liberties in the country.
In 2019 New York-based Human Rights Watch analysed the statistics of Hindu nationalist cow vigilantism in India. The 104-page report revealed that tragically, 44 Muslims had been killed, and 280 Muslims had been severely injured in more than 100 attacks between May 2015 and December 2018.
