Muslims Protest Against Mob Lynchings In India

Image Courtesy: The Kashmir Reader

Indian Muslims on Monday took to the streets of Maharashtra to protest against mob lynchings in the country. The congregation took place at “Shahidon ki Yaadgaar” (martyrs’ memorial) a historical site in response to a call for a law against mob lynching, reports Kashmir Reader.

Mob lynchings have been on a rise for quite a while. One of the recent incidents that sparked voices across the country was Tabrez Ansari, 24, of Jharkhand. According to Indian Express, Ansari’s killing was the trigger for Muslims across the country.

The Kashmir Reader reports that clerics of Jamiat Ulema, the umbrella NGO which called for the silent protest, urged governments to take note that on a “weak call” the entire textile town had “come out to safeguard the Constitution”. They said, “We do not seek revenge, and don’t believe in violence. We believe in the rule of law.”

Ansari’s lynching and a subsequent killing were protested all across the country when many Indians took to Twitter raising concerns about communal violence.

In Jharkhand, a minister garlanded lynching convicts last year. Is it any suprising that lynchings continue unabated? Tabrez Ansari's lynching was the 18th lynching incident in just Jharkhand in last 3 yrs. BJP has incentivized hate and violence! #IndiaAgainstLynchTerror pic.twitter.com/rE2AENg8Kb

— Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) June 25, 2019

Prime Ministerial candidate and leader of the Congress party had criticized the BJP government for its silence on the prevalent lynchings.

The brutal lynching of this young man by a mob in Jharkhand is a blot on humanity. The cruelty of the police who held this dying boy in custody for 4 days is shocking as is the silence of powerful voices in the BJP ruled Central & State Govts. #IndiaAgainstLynchTerror pic.twitter.com/4MKvli1ohC

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 25, 2019

Protesters, on the other hand, had gathered at Malegaon fort before proceeding towards the rally. The crowd was asked to spread the word, “victims of lynchings should not show helplessness in chanting Jai Shri Ram; instead, they should die by taking the Sahadat”, reports The Kashmir Reader.

According to The Observers, a report from the US State Department on religious freedom stated that attacks on Muslims in India continued in 2018, often based on rumours that the victims had “traded or killed cows for beef”.