On January 31, Islamic preacher Mufti Salman Azhari addressed a massive Muslim gathering and delivered an inflammatory speech, after which things heated up in Gujarat and Mumbai, India.
Azhari gave his lengthy diatribe on the grounds of Narayan Vidya Mandir near the Junagadh court in the state of Gujarat, and it first gained widespread attention when a 22-second video excerpt from his speech was shared widely on the Internet. In the video, the preacher is heard saying, ‘‘The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. Today is the time of the dogs; tomorrow will be our time.” He then inspired his audience to chant, “Labbaik Ya Rasulullah” (Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah), and the crowd returned his call. The now-viral video was met with heavy criticism, and outraged social media users demanded immediate police action against the Mufti.
On Saturday, February 3, Junagadh Police confirmed that Mufti Salman Azhari and two organizers of the event, Muhammad Yusuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara, had been booked for making inflammatory remarks at the event and that police have registered a suo motu FIR at the Junagadh B Division Police Station.
District Police Chief Harshad Mehta revealed that the organizers were taken into custody following the filing of a formal complaint. The Mufti, a resident of Mumbai, was still being searched for at that time. According to the police, the organizers had gained permission from the police to organize a gathering to help people get free of addiction, but the Mufti ended up giving a provocative speech.
Several Muslim journalists who are notorious for peddling fake news defended the accused, claiming that he was being “falsely implicated” based on an edited video, and tried to get “#IStandWithSalmanAzhari” trending on social media. However, all their misleading attempts to get a clean slate for their coreligionist were thwarted when people got access to his entire speech, which turned out to be just as vile and repulsive as its 22-second trailer.
Speaking in the context of the Ram Mandir inauguration and the ongoing legal battle over the disputed Gyanvapi Masjid, Salman Azhari likened the Hindus to dogs. Parts of his speech can be translated to “We have a saying: When the ground is left open, dogs take over the place. But if you keep using the ground, it won’t become the shelter for dogs.”
Gloating about non-Islamic religious structures destroyed to build Islamic structures atop them, he said, “If you keep idols inside a mosque, then it will not become an idol-worshipping place.” He added, “You have kept one idol, but there were 360 idols at the Kaaba. Even then, the Kaaba belonged to the Muslims. This did not stop the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj,” thereby idealizing the Islamic tendency to seize and Islamize non-Islamic places of worship.
Azhari made borderline genocidal statements, including “Dear Muslims, the revolution will begin from your homes,” and unfounded claims such as “Muslims are being beaten, slaughtered, children killed, women robbed, houses destroyed, mosques burnt.”
On Sunday, February 4, a team of Gujarat police arrested the Islamic preacher from Mumbai and brought him to Ahmedabad. They obtained a two-day transit remand to facilitate Azhari’s travel to Junagadh in Gujarat, and initially detained him at the Ghatkopar police station. But as soon as the word of his arrest got out, a vast Muslim mob gathered outside the police station. They brought the local traffic to a standstill, demanding Azhari’s immediate release. His advocate, Vahid Shaikh, issued veiled threats of prompting a law and order situation for the police. Eventually, the police were successful in dispersing the crowd and restoring peace.
However, that was not the end of the provocative actions from the Islamic camp. Gathering support for the preacher at the Gareeb Nawaz Conference organized in Mumbra on Tuesday, February 6, Azhari’s fellow Islamic cleric Sayyed Shahbaz Hussain declared, “Salman Azhari should be released, and it should be conveyed that Salman Azhari is not alone, all Barelvi Muslims are with him.” Hussain said to his audience” “Who can get their throats slit in the name of ‘huzoor’, raise your hands … Those who will keep a full beard in the name of ‘huzoor’ stand up.” “Huzoor” is honor or respect, that is, in this case for Islam and Muhammad.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) is now investigating a terror angle in the event where Azhari delivered the speech. The Gujarat ATS SP, Om Prakash, disclosed that the accused has a controversial history, and multiple cases have been filed against him in other states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka. The department will look into the financing of Azhari’s event and dubious bank credits, and investigate if he is working on the Gazwa-e-hind project.
Rufolino says
The Queen Mum’s wardrobe doesn’t suit him
Pray Hard says
That turban is totally GAY!