• Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati urged his followers to burn effigies of Prophet Mohammed (saw), sparking outrage among many.
• An FIR was filed against Narsinghanand for inciting religious sentiments. Meanwhile, OpIndia’s coverage of the incident showed sympathy for Narsinghanand.
While speaking to his followers at a public event held on September 29 at Hindi Bhavan Lohia Nagar, Ghaziabad, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati said the following:
”…Even thousands of years since Ravan committed a small mistake, we burn his effigy. But until now, such criminals have taken birth that Ravan’s existence would fail in front of them. I want to exhort all Hindus from this stage if you want to burn an effigy, burn the effigy of Mohammad.”
It is essential to emphasise that, as Muslims, our love for Prophet Mohammed (saw) transcends even that for our own mothers. This profound reverence is why it is difficult to hear any insults about Him (saw). He is after all, the best who walked this Earth.
Muslims take issue with the glaring hypocrisy and the selective application of freedom of speech in contemporary society. It is deemed acceptable to denigrate revered figures of Islam, while similar criticisms against the LGBTQ movement or adherents of other faiths are met with condemnation. This double standard raises profound concerns about the equitable treatment of diverse beliefs and identities in our discourse.
Ironically, within our tradition, Prophet Mohammed (saw) has never been depicted or illustrated. Consequently, any effigies created in his name would be entirely unrepresentative of his true essence.
Moreover, insulting other religions is considered haram (forbidden in Islam). Allah says in the Qur’an:
‘O believers!˺ Do not insult what they invoke besides Allah or they will insult Allah spitefully out of ignorance. This is how We have made each people’s deeds appealing to them. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do.’ (6:108)
Outrage Erupts Over the Hindutva Extremist, Drawing Reactions from Muslims and Non-Muslims
Following Yati Narsinghanand’s deplorable remarks, an FIR was lodged against him under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. The complaint, filed by a police officer named Trivendra Singh at the Sihani Gate police station, pertains to the offence of inciting religious sentiments.
It comes as no surprise that the Indian News outlet OpIndia has once again “reported” this story using pejorative language such as “Islamists” while expressing sympathy for Narsinghanand.
