The global Islamo-leftist cabal has repeatedly trumped up conspiracy theories in its attempt to target India, Hindus and Hindu organisations. Three years ago, a similar effort unfolded in September 2023, when the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) tried to frame two Hindu high school students over an alleged Quran-burning incident in Illinois, United States.
These groups were also joined by other Islamist organisations, including the Islamic Centre of Naperville (ICN) and the Council of Islamic Organisations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC). The campaign did not stop there. Liberal leaders also joined the chorus, seemingly desperate to be among the first to condemn the “Islamophobic” act without waiting for the facts of the matter to emerge fully.
Furthermore, these grave accusations were levelled despite being aware of the dangerous repercussions that even a mere hint of blasphemy, whether true or fabricated, could have on a person’s life and safety, as well as on those around them. However, the most concerning aspect of this episode was that the malicious agenda was directed at innocent Hindu youngsters, with the potential to jeopardise their safety and leave a lasting impact on their future.
The troubling targeting of vulnerable students in a broader propaganda against Hindus
On 3rd October 2023, IAMC released an official statement and shared “its deep concern over a recently discovered video depicting a Naperville high school student engaged in the reprehensible act of burning a copy of the Quran. This hateful act appears to be influenced by local Hindu supremacist groups with connections to extremist Hindu nationalist organisations in India.”
The release, which was replete with falsehoods and propaganda, not only declared the student guilty but went a step further by insisting that he had already made a confession. Predictably, it also sought to link the purported incident to Hindu outfits in an evident attempt to discredit and defame them.
“The video, recorded in June, only recently surfaced on social media, showing the student holding a lighter to a copy of the Quran, fanning it to make the flames spread, and then hurling it to the ground,” it added.
IAMC then doubled down on its lies and wrote, “The student has confessed to the hateful action and claimed that his reasoning for doing so was because (the Quran) said to kill all non-Muslims and it slandered other religions,” referring to it as an anti-Muslim myth which the young man reportedly saw on social media.
In an apparent try to bolster its otherwise groundless charges, IAMC portrayed him as influenced by “Hindu supremacist” ideology, pointing to CAIR’s claim that he had posted a comment opposing the construction of a new mosque in Naperville in 2021.
“Furthermore, the language used by the student to justify his actions closely resembles the rhetoric of Hindu extremists in India, frequently disseminated on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Similar language has also been used by prominent Hindu far-right groups in the United States, including the claim that Muslims are ‘barbaric’ invaders of India on the website of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), which is an offshoot of the India-based militant group Vishwa Hindu Parishad,” the release read.
IAMC continued to construct its narrative against the student despite the complete lack of any merit, while simultaneously targeting Hindu organisations and denying atrocities perpetrated by Islamic marauders in India. The release was just another exercise to showcase Muslims as perpetual victims and Hindus as the villains, using rhetoric that has no basis in reality.
On 10th October, CAIR-Chicago followed suit and published their statement to add to the propaganda, supposedly “warning of a troubling connection to the Islamophobic and extremist RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) Hindutva movement that has been internationally condemned for its anti-minority ideology and human rights abuses.”
Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, dubbed the incident as not an “isolated arbitrary act” but argued that it was “part of a larger trend of Hindutva-inspired Islamophobia playing out in Naperville and other communities, and it is high time it is confronted. It is a stark reminder of the impact of ideological extremism quietly imported into America and the need to address it urgently.” The statement also mentioned that the student “commented twice in opposition to the mosque.”
The calculated plan of these radicals was to accuse a Hindu student and then use the propaganda to attack Hindu organisations and the wider community, amplified through repeated references to “Hindutva” and “right-wing” rhetoric. However, their long-drawn effort was short-lived, as the truth soon emerged and exposed the hollowness of their charges.
The truth eventually finds its voice
Notably, local leader Nag Jaiswal soon punctured the propaganda on 14th October as he highlighted that the student’s testimony, along with the video footage, confirmed that the allegations were false. He also clarified that the students had willingly shared the footage with the CIOGC and ICN imams after they requested it, simply to verify its authenticity.
Jaiswal reiterated, “They vehemently denied that the burned book is Quran.” He was part of a “fact-finding exercise which was held in good faith between parents of the Waubonsie Valley High School students accused of burning Quran and representatives of Islamic Organisations namely: ICN Naperville, CIOGC and CAIR.”
Jaiswal was invited there by the terrified parents who had contacted him on 27th September. He remarked, “The parents and students were visibly disturbed and hadn’t slept throughout due to fear and anxiety.” He disclosed that this was the first meeting which included all sides, and it happened after several follow-ups.
Alleged Quran Burning Incident in Naperville – Truth alone Triumphs – “Satyameva Jayate” – Firsthand Report by Nag Jaiswal, Naperville ILhttps://t.co/2nTlFxEvWZ
— Nag Jaiswal (@nagjaiswal) October 13, 2023
On Sunday, October 7th, a fact-finding exercise was held in good faith between parents of the Waubonsie Valley High…
Jaiswal revealed, “The CIOGC President moderated the meeting. CAIR were represented by their attorney and operations manager. Parents and accused students were without any legal representation.”
He further emphasised that there was no factual basis for the accusation. “The entire episode is speculative, based on hearsay. Students at the graduation party could have spread the rumour. At this time, no one is sure how it happened without anyone having a video.”
Jaiswal also shed light on the background of the occurrence and conveyed, “On a random summer afternoon (the week after July 4th), two kids decided to burst firecrackers in an open field in South Naperville. After bursting firecrackers, they burned random trash, including a book. They took some pictures, a few videos and went home thereafter. The entire incident was never discussed except once during a graduation party at the end of July.”
He also pointed to the real-life consequences of such propaganda and unveiled that the student “was bullied and pressured by a mob of 40 high school students on 26th September at 8 am when he stepped out of his school bus to admit he burned the holy book. He was surprised and in shock.”
Jaiswal mentioned the student was left confused as to how an unrelated book-burning incident had suddenly been turned into such an allegation, particularly when no clip of the incident had been circulating until that moment. They clarified that they had neither uploaded the video nor shared it with anyone, either publicly or privately. Similarly, no comments were made about the book or the incident as well.
He expressed, “It is very unfortunate to see press releases, blogs, news articles with extreme reactions from the public, religious organisations, political organisations, and community leaders. Press statements linking Hindu religion with hate crimes without any formal investigation are very disturbing. One-sided reactions of a political party are resulting in Hinduphobia.”
The Hindu American Foundation also reacted to the issue, outlining that the story which was advanced on social media by CAIR & IAMC turned out to be “fake news.” It stated, “The book was not a Quran & there was no intention to target Muslims. It is unacceptable that a family’s life was endangered over false charges & these national groups must apologise.”
#Update: #Naperville, IL alleged Quran burning amplified on SM by CAIR & IAMC was #fake news. Book was not a Quran & there was no intention to target Muslims.
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) October 14, 2023
It is unacceptable that a family’s life was endangered over false charges & these national groups must apologize. https://t.co/Ph5jkhlDHJ pic.twitter.com/KsfgKCvoGl
Obviously, neither the instigators nor those who joined the bandwagon ever issued an apology for the immense distress, agony, fear and trauma inflicted upon the students and their families.
In November, Jaiswal conveyed that he had a meeting with an ICN member and “voiced my serious concern on how the school mishandled the events on 26th September & put the lives of two kids at risk.”
He also slammed the leaders who repeated and endorsed the unsubstantiated allegations through their tweets and public statements, questioning, “These are elected officials representing a large electorate in IL US District 11 and Naperville City. Why would they do that?”
Last evening I had a spirited impromptu conversation with a member of ICN. I voiced my serious concern on how the school mishandled the events on September 26 & put two kids lives at risk. It’s extremely worrisome when elected officials @RepBillFoster @bennynaperville issued…
— Nag Jaiswal (@nagjaiswal) November 2, 2023
“All the allegations are supposedly based on the school principal’s statements per ICN. Why did he reach out to an external religious organisation & distribute confidential content of a student,” he wrote, highlighting the violation of privacy.
Conclusion
It is hardly surprising that IAMC and CAIR have been behind such a sinister move to brand innocent Hindu students with such a grave allegation and potentially place their lives and safety at risk. These organisations have been actively involved in promoting hostility towards Hinduism and India, and recently had outbursts over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat‘s visit to the United States.
The groups have also been infamous for their ties with extremist and jihadi groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami, while regularly providing a platform to figures known for their deeply Hinduphobic and anti-India views. Hence, without overstating the matter, this episode is yet another addition to their growing record of targeting all things Indian and Hindu.
