Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) condemned the killing of a Muslim man inside a Masjid in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, last week.
The 61-year-old Mohammed Farooq, who was working as a cleric, was bludgeoned to death inside the Noorani Masjid of Lalacheruvu locality. Farooq, hailing from Bihar, has been working at the masjid for the past four months.
According to media reports, the assailants desecrated the mosque. Burnt pages of the Holy Quran, cigarette butts, and signs of urination were found in the masjid.
“This murder of an innocent cleric and the desecration of the mosque represents a worsening of the human rights situation of Dalits and minorities in India. We call upon the Andhra Pradesh administration not only to take every step to apprehend the killers of Mohammed Farooq but also to check the hateful rhetoric and bigotry that enables such senseless and brutal violence,†said Ahsan Khan, the National President of IAMC, Twocircles reported. “This hate crime is an aberration in an otherwise peaceful Rajahmundry district which has a history of peaceful coexistence amongst people from all religious communities.â€
The council alleged that India has been witnessing increased hate crimes and attacks on its religious minorities ever since the Narendra Modi administration came to power in May 2014. Attacks unleashed by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes in different parts of the country have increased to an alarming level, it said.
The country also witnessed shocking mob lynchings and mob attacks targeting minorities and Dalits.
“Andhra Pradesh has traditionally been marked peaceful coexistence amongst communities of all religious backgrounds even as many of the BJP ruled states have been gripped by rising tide of Islamophobia and hate crimes against religious minorities,†said Seema Salim, National Vice President of IAMC.
“We call upon the Andhra Pradesh state administration for an impartial and expeditious investigation into this hate crime in Rajahmundry while ensuring that this incident is not used to spread hate and discord in the community,†she added.