India: Muslim in Kashmir swears to burn down Hindu temples, mosques expand illegally

In the wake of the recent assembly polls conducted in Jammu and Kashmir, journalists from all over India have gathered in the valley not only to cover the elections, but also to do a pulse check of the regular popular sentiment.

Journalist Archana Tiwari from The Rajdharna also reached the valley and interviewed locals. A video of her exchange with a local Muslim named Mushtaq Lone in Dardpora was uploaded on the official channel of the media house on September 22, and has since gone viral. Mustaq claims to be a supporter of Sheikh Abdul Rashid. Popularly known as Engineer Rashid, he was arrested on terror funding charges and is out on interim bail; he is now a Kashmiri politician and a member of Lok Sabha representing the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Mushtaq, an apt follower of the accused terror funder, declares in the now-viral video that he will burn down any Hindu temple that is built in his town.

Speaking to the journalist, he is seen boasting, “We are Muslims, and we read namaz. Opening the temple is not right. We have problems with Hindu rituals and worship.”

The startled journalist replied by saying she didn’t have a problem with loudspeakers in the mosque, but he argued that as a Muslim, he had a problem with temples, and declared, “Any Hindu who comes here for work and then indulges in alcohol consumption will be assaulted by us. Alcohol is against our religion.”

He also threatened Hindus, asserting, “We won’t allow temple on our land. We will have no choice but to burn the place because it is not right. We are Muslims. Is it appropriate to have a temple in our neighborhood?”

He further asserted that though Hindus could now buy land in the region and build temples (as per regulations that have been revised since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government abrogated Article 370 in 2019), they wouldn’t sell land to the community.

“This is not Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s land. It’s ours,” he stated, stressing that people would not vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

One of the greatest fallacies that leftist media and Muslim apologists propagate is the idea that the increase of tensions in Kashmir have been the handiwork only of Pakistan-backed jihad terror groups, and that the local Muslims of Kashmir are innocent, and are just as much the victims of this cross-border terrorism as are Hindus. The truth, however, as has been evident for years, is that many among the locals are in complete agreement with Islamic terror organizations. Kashmir has a great many residents who are nurturing the jihadi mindset, supporting jihadis’ actions, and magnifying jihadis into heroes after the army takes them down. These people profess a desire for violence against non-Muslims, and exhibit absolute intolerance towards the religious rituals of others.

Regardless of how desperately the pro-Muslim coterie in India attempts to whitewash the Muslims of Kashmir, every once in a while, the frail veneer of the “innocent victimized Kashmiri Muslim” is torn down, and one of their own exposes their acute communal hate.

Mushtaq repeatedly mentioned his aversion to Hindu temples, religious songs, and rituals, and stressed how he was opposed to all things about the Hindu religion because he was a Muslim who performed namaz five times a day. According to him, religious Hindus must not build temples in a Muslim-majority state, but when it comes to states with a Hindu majority, Muslims not only build mosques or blare the azaan through loudspeakers, but are also often found erecting mazars or adding extensions to mosques illegally, and resort to mob violence when opposed by legal institutions. While incidents of this nature are aplenty, a recent case was reported from Mumbai on September 21, when police and administration officials arrived at Dharavi’s Mehboob-e-Subaniya Mosque to demolish an unauthorized construction. A massive Muslim crowd on the road blocked the lane and prevented the officials from reaching the mosque. The mob also tore down vehicles belonging to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation that arrived for the demolition, creating absolute chaos and tension in the area.

Hundreds of people had also surrounded the Dharavi police station and squatted on the street, opposing the demolition. A large contingent of police had to be deployed in the densely populated area to prevent any untoward escalation of the prevailing situation.

The entire episode culminated with the pro-Muslim Congress party compelling the ruling party to abort the activity, and the latter had to relent to avoid a riot-like situation, despite having a court order in favor of the demolition. BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya has called the unauthorized extension of the said mosque “land jihad” in her letter to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding action against the same.