After a local court took cognizance of its most recent charge sheet filed against three PFI office bearers, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) asserted on Monday that the outlawed radical Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) has a “well-structured and organised” presence in the Gulf countries for raising and mobilising funds.
A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court at Patiala House accepted the charge sheet from the federal investigating agency on Monday.
The document was filed on November 19 in order to press money laundering charges against Perwez Ahmad, Mohammad Ilias, and Abdul Muqueet, who were arrested on September 22 following nationwide raids against the PFI by NIA, ED, and various state police units. Following these raids, the authorities outlawed the radical organisation.
According to the ED, Ahmad managed the organization’s fund-raising and public relations activities as president of PFI’s Delhi section. Ilias, the Delhi unit’s general secretary, solicited funds for PFI and related organisations in the NCR region. Muqueet, the Delhi PFI’s office secretary, was also deeply engaged in the organization’s fund-raising operations, as per reports.
Links of PFI to Delhi riots deepen. ED's charge sheet mention that PFI members have been active in certain Gulf countries from where funds were received in 5 PFI accounts in Delhi. Since 2003 about 60 crores were transferred into the accounts.@nielspeak shares more details pic.twitter.com/1mGdysOusF
ED’s charge sheet reportedly stated that 5 PFI accounts were used to receive funds form Gulf nations and since 2003, over 60 crores have been transferred from Gulf nations into PFI accounts.
As per the agency, the proceeds of crime were collected, stashed, layered, consolidated, and then portrayed as untouched money in PFI’s bank accounts. The ED has temporarily attached Rs 86.36 lakh from the PFI’s 24 bank accounts and Rs 8.22 lakh from Rehab India Foundation, a linked organisation of the PFI.
The central agency stated, “Proceeds of crime mobilised and remitted in the form of cash have been deposited in PFI’s bank accounts by falsely projecting them as cash donations from its sympathisers/members.”
“These foreign funds are not directly deposited in the accounts of PFI, rather they are clandestinely routed to India through underground and illegal channels or sent to India in the guise of foreign remittances into the bank accounts of sympathisers/office bearers/members and their relatives/associates held in India and thereafter transferred to PFI’s bank accounts,” the ED further added.
PFI banned in India
On September 27, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India banned the Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associated or affiliated fronts with immediate effect for a period of five years by exercising its powers under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).
The government said that during the investigation, it was established that PFI created the associates or affiliates or fronts with an objective to enhance its reach “among different sections of the society such as youth, students, women, Imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society with the sole objective of expanding its membership, influence and fundraising capacity.”
The 2022 FIFA World Cup saw its biggest shock thus far as unfancied Saudi Arabia fought back from a goal deficit to defeat one of the tournament favourites Argentina by 2 goals to 1. After a first half largely dominated by the South Americans, the Saudis fought back right at the start of the second half scoring 2 goals in 5 minutes.
It all looked like an expected comfortable win for Argentina in the first half as their record goal scorer Lionel Messi calmly put them ahead from the penalty spot. La Albiceleste thought they have gone 2-0 ahead when Lautaro Martinez put a through ball past the Saudi goalkeeper but his effort was disallowed because Messi was offside.
Still, Argentina looked largely comfortable during the first half and the only question was the margin of victory for them. However, Saudi Arabia came back with renewed energy after half-time, and within three minutes, they were level thanks to Al Shehri’s goal. The equalizer stunned Argentina but the Saudis were not done, just 5 minutes later, Al Dawsari curled in a beautiful finish past Emiliano Martinez in the Argentinian goal handing an unlikely lead to the gulf country.
Argentina tried their best to claw their way back into the contest but an inspired Saudi defense held firm with the goalkeeper Al Owaisi coming up with several crucial saves to deny the Argentinians.
The shocking loss has put a spanner into the works for Argentina who were one of the favourites to lift the trophy before the tournament began having been on a 36 games unbeaten run. They now face an uphill task to get out of the group stage with their next two games against much tougher opponents in Mexico and Poland, who face off against each other later today.
In what is set to be their superstar Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina has got off to the worst possible start. It will be interesting to see if they can fight back from it.
Millions of Hindus around the world are waiting for the temple being constructed in Ayodhya to mark the birthplace of Shri Rama (also called Shri Ram), an Avatara of Vishnu who has been loved and worshipped by devotees for millennia. The design for the temple was prepared by the Sompura family of Ahmedabad in Gujarat in 1988 which is well known for building the modern Somnath Temple. When completed, this will surely be a splendid landmark across space and time. It was in the 16th century that the historic Ram temple which stood on the site was demolished by a general of Mughal invader Babur and a mosque was built over it — a barbarity that has been repeated countless times in history. However, unlike the followers of other pre-Abrahamic religions who converted or perished, Hindus have succeeded in preserving their religion, traditions and culture to this day. The narratives of how they managed to do that are being uncovered by many modern chroniclers.
Being the capital of iconoclastic rulers and later British colonizers, Delhi did not have any big Hindu temples for over 800 years. After Independence, the first big temple was built by the Birlas in 1939 and much later in 2005 came the grand Akshardham Temple.
But what many people do not know is that the same Sompura family which built the much-awaited temple at Ayodhya has almost completed a near-replica of that temple in Delhi! It is a mystery to me that this temple has hardly got any media coverage. I learned about it just by chance when Dr Bharat Gupt, a well-known professor and speaker on art and aesthetics visited our house in Houston in 2018. We got talking about Delhi and I mentioned that my sasuraal was in Ashok Vihar. Dr Gupt said that he too lived there for a long time and had, in fact, initiated the construction of a Ram Mandir (temple) there in 1975. I was astonished that despite my multiple visits to Delhi over the years, and staying in Ashok Vihar each time, I did not hear about this temple.
I learned that Dr Gupt was inspired by Swami Kripavananda of Gujarat and managed to convince the residents of Ashok Vihar to construct a stone temple in accordance with the classical Hindu architecture. Thanks to his push, Sri Ram Mandir Samiti was registered, the land was purchased, Bhoomi Puja was performed and the foundation stones were laid. However, the project got slowed down because of financing issues and there was no activity for a long time. Also, Dr Gupt recalled that he faced issues with residents who were steeped in conservative values and objected to the semi-nude carvings of Apsaras on the outer walls. Unlike in southern India, where such carvings are found in abundance in ancient Hindu temples, and in fact, understood as being an intrinsic part of Hindu aesthetics, in northern India where the Islamic influence is more predominant, such art has been frowned upon, especially in connection with temples.
Darpana Sundari (Lady with a mirror) carved on the walls of Belur Temple in Karnataka in southern India. Photo: Nagaraju Hanchanahal
Finally, after much deliberation, the temple design in Nagara style architecture was approved for the temple at Ashok Vihar with three Shikharas (the central one with a height of 100 feet), Mahapeetha, Mandodara and various embellishments. Artisans were brought from Rajasthan and Gujarat. The construction began in full swing.
As Dr Bharat Gupt explained to me, the tradition has been to regard the temple as the body of a living organism (Vaastu Purusha) which emphasises that everything is interconnected. That is why ancient temples stimulated various arts such as dance, music and poetry for the fulfilment of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. It is a common sight in southern Indian temples for dancers and musicians to perform for deities and dedicate their art to them.
In fact, Dr Gupt had also wanted a primary school to be attached to this temple but in the colonized India that we live in today, many traditions of the past have taken a back seat. In my book on India’s educational heritage, I have dwelt on the temple universities of ancient India.
Due to the pandemic, I could not visit India for a few years. But as soon as I got the opportunity in June 2022, I made plans to visit the Ram Mandir at Ashok Vihar Phase I. My father-in-law and daughter accompanied me. It was difficult to imagine that such an imposing structure would emerge in a dusty, cramped Delhi neighbourhood where houses jostled for space with streets, stray dogs, cycle rickshaws, food carts and roaming cattle. But that is the beauty of India. Once, we walked into the devalaya space, it seemed like a different world.
Climbing up the steps, we came across a beautiful hall with white marble flooring. The standing images of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana accompanied by Hanuman at the feet of the Bhagwan could be seen at the central mandapa. There was an Archaka (also called purohita or pujari) tending to the rituals, who greeted us with a smile and gladly answered our questions about the temple. Images of Durga and Saraswati could be seen inside smaller mandapas just outside the main garbagriha. In addition, there were two separate shrines on either side of the main one and these had Radha-Krishna and the Shiva Parivara. I pointed out various features to my daughter with much delight. There were still some sculptures that had not been completed and were lying in the garden. The boundary wall has not been finished too.
I was surprised to find that there was hardly anyone inside the temple other than those taking care of it. Clearly, not many people knew about this place but it would be a matter of time once the construction got completed. The Archaka told me that the temple had already been inaugurated and many people had attended the event.
At the foot of the temple, I found another little temple tucked deep inside. This turned out to be the original temple that had been consecrated in 1975 with small murtis of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and various other deities. In this temple, daily puja has been going on right from the time of its foundation.
I was delighted to find the Archaka who tends to this temple was sitting with his wife and children outside the temple and quickly took permission to click photos of them. He informed me that the aarti would start soon and I was torn between watching the aarti there versus the one that would take place upstairs in the main temple. Finally, I decided to stay downstairs with the original murtis and later went upstairs to see the last part of that aarti. Some people came in at the time of aarti to get special blessings.
One of the things I liked about the temple downstairs was that the lyrics of the aarti songs were put up on the walls. This was helpful in singing along with the Purohita and it was wonderful to find everyone singing together. I think this is an idea that other temples should take up to enable group singing.
I feel so thankful to Dr Bharat Gupt for taking the initiative to build this beautiful temple. When I mentioned his name to the priests in the temple, they indicated their deep respect for his entire family. Dr Gupt has been sharing his knowledge on Indian civilization for many years on his youtube channel. You can watch them here. Below, I have shared the link to his thoughts on anti-ritualism.
In the years to come, I hope that more people will visit this temple and connect with their inner selves. Unless Hindus gather together more often in their sacred spaces, they will lose the strength of being a part of a community. In particular, I hope that the younger folks living nearby will make it a point to visit this temple every day for the morning or evening aarti and sit for some time in meditation. May Dr Gupt’s dream of temples stimulating the arts just like in ancient times also come true.
(This article was published on Medium by the author and has been published here with her permission)
On Monday, Rajasthan Police arrested twelve persons for attempting to burn alive a Devnarayan temple priest and his wife in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. The incident is said to have happened on Sunday at around 8:30 pm when the duo was having dinner at their son’s shop. The accused arrived at the spot and hurled balloons filled with petrol at the shop.
According to the reports, victim priest Navratna Lal (75) and his wife, Jamna Devi (60) have suffered 80 percent burn injuries and have been admitted to the local hospital for treatment. The arrested accused have been identified as Jeetendra Singh, Ramesh Singh, Ishwar Singh, Giriraj Singh, Ram Singh, Devi Singh, Ganga Singh, Sesa Singh, Chhagan Singh, Hari Om Singh, Raju Singh Rawat, and Hazari Singh Rawat.
The accused Jitendra Singh is said to be the mastermind of the incident. He stays in Guntur city of Andhra Pradesh and had planned to murder the priest and his wife over a property issue. He sent Rs 20,000 to the rest of the accused and asked them to hurl petrol-filled balloons at the shop of the priest’s son to burn the family alive.
The police arrested Jitendra Singh from Hyderabad and are transporting him to Rajsamand. While Jitendra Singh hails from Andhra Pradesh, the rest of the accused are residents of Deogarh. The prime accused Jitendra Singh wanted to grab 22 bighas of land belonging to the Devnarayan temple in Deogarh for business purposes. He wanted to establish a plant there but the victim priest was constantly opposing the proposal put forth by the accused. It is suspected that the accused tried to kill the priest and his wife for this 22 bighas of land.
The negligence of the police has also come to the fore in this dispute as Navratna’s son, Mukesh Prajapat claimed that he had already complained at the police post but they didn’t heed the case. According to the reports, Deogarh Station Officer Shaitan Singh and Kamlighat outpost in-charge Prabhari Raju Singh have been suspended by Rajsamand Superintendent of Police on the orders of Inspector General of Police Prafulla Kumar.
The shop of the victim’s son is located in front of Essar Petrol Pump at Kamli Ghat, National Highway-8, in the Deogarh Police Station area of Rajsamand. The condition of the victim couple who is undergoing treatment at the Deogarh CHC is critical. Further investigations into the case are underway.
Just days ahead of the Vidhan Sabha polls in the State of Gujarat, former Congress MLA Kaminiba Rathod joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
She was formally inducted into the saffron party in Gandhinagar on Tuesday (November 22). The development comes two days after she tendered her resignation from the Gujarat unit of the Congress party.
In 2012, Kaminiba Rathod won on a Congress ticket from the Dahegam Assembly constituency but lost to the rival BJP candidate in the 2017 elections.
Former Congress MLA Kaminiba Rathod joined BJP today in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/pVNDV2Uu6R
While speaking to the news agency ANI, she said, “When tickets were distributed on basis of transaction of money, then I decided that I am going to leave the party and join BJP.”
Earlier on Sunday (November 20), Kaminiba Rathod resigned from Congress after accusing the party leadership of soliciting ₹1 crore for an election ticket. She alleged that ‘cash for ticket’ was demanded by an agent of the Gujarat Congress President, Jagdish Thakor.
Gandhinagar, Gujarat | When tickets were distributed on basis of transaction of money, then I decided that I am going to leave the party and join BJP: Former Congress MLA Kaminiba Rathod after joining BJP pic.twitter.com/5CwXDqhbzf
While speaking to Republic TV, she said, “On November 11, I received a call. A person asked me in Gujarati- ‘Where are you? Where are you going? Why are you running about? Don’t take tension. You will get the ticket. Your survey is okay. All local councillors are with you”
The ex-Congress MLA informed, “I told him that I got to know that the state president Jagdish Bhai Thakor thinks differently and doesn’t want to give me a ticket. From November 12, I started getting calls that there is a problem in giving you the ticket.”
“He said that if you want the ticket, their demand is Rs 1 crore. Then, I told him I will think about it and let me know. Later, the person who was talking in Gujarati was making WhatsApp calls asking me to convey my decision quickly,” she further emphasised.
This is not the first time that a Congress leader defected to the saffron party in the run-up to the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls. Earlier, Congress leaders including Mohansinh Rathava, Bhagvanbhai Barad and Himanshu Vyas also joined hands with the BJP.
A veteran soldier was thrashed aboard the Swarna Jayanti Express, which was headed from Delhi to Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The ex-serviceman was reportedly attacked after he sat down to protest by reciting Mantras in opposition to Namaz being performed aboard the train. The injured ex-soldier was admitted to the hospital after the incident.
The train’s pantry car manager and other staff members are accused of the assault. A case has been filed in this respect at Madhya Pradesh’s GRP police station. The incident occurred on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, ex-serviceman Vilas Naik was assaulted on the train by the pantry car staff. Naik was chanting Mantras in protest of the Namaz being performed onboard the train which was impeding passenger movement. “On Sunday, a group of individuals sat in the train aisle to offer Namaz. This was repeated three times. When I requested a way to use the toilet, I was turned back” Naik told Dainik Bhaskar.
In a video that has now gone viral, Naik is seen narrating that the Muslim co-passengers had obstructed the passageway to toilets on both sides for Namaz and the Namaz on the common passageway was done 3 times before he decided to object. He added that he had to go to the toilet earlier too, but had to wait because the Muslim co-passengers were unwilling to let anyone pass during Namaz.
On the day of the incident, the ex-soldier was travelling from Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin to Visakhapatnam. Some Muslims were also on board train number 12804 in the same coach. Naik reportedly asked for the passageway to not be obstructed as he had to go to the toilet. However, the persons offering Namaz asked him to wait till the Namaz was over.
In response, he began reciting Mantras in protest. Meanwhile, the pantry staff arrived and asked Naik to move and not obstruct the passage. They began arguing with Naik when he questioned why chanting could not be done while Namaz could be read. Harvesh Singh, the pantry manager, then summoned his employees and assaulted Naik, as per Naik’s complaint.
The pantry manager has reportedly said that Naik injured himself. Muzakir Ahmed, who was travelling aboard the train, on the other hand, admitted to performing Namaz. He stated that Naik insisted on using the restroom when Namaz was being offered.
They were all dropped off at the GRP outpost of Betul station in Madhya Pradesh. According to the outpost in-charge NS Thakur, an FIR has been registered against the manager of the pantry car and his coworkers under sections 294, 322, and 34 of the IPC.
Report filed by Railway officials after the incident
The Railway Protection Force’s Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, Nagpur Division, acknowledged the incident in a press release. The train was delayed for around 18 minutes at Betul railway station. A case has been filed against the pantry car manager and his two vendors based on Naik’s accusation and the matter is being further investigated, according to the press release.
On Monday, the Uttarakhand Police registered an FIR against Firoz for luring a woman, raping her, and then blackmailing her and her family for money. The victim woman used to stay in the neighborhood of prime accused Firoz. The Police have registered an FIR in the case and have launched an investigation.
According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened in the Vasant Vihar area of Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh. The victim woman in the police complaint mentioned that she was depressed about her academics and profession during the time of COVID-19 spread. Firoz, who is originally from Saharanpur, resided in the victim’s neighbourhood. Firoz happened to gain the trust of the woman during her depression. He referred her to a Maulvi and assured the woman that the Maulvi might suggest a solution to her problem.
It is alleged that Maulvi instilled terror in the victim’s mind that she is possessed by a jinn. The victim was advised by the Maulvi that if she did not marry soon, the jinn would murder her. He also encouraged the girl to marry Firoz during this time. The victim was assured that simply a fictitious marriage would help her attain a solution to her problems.
The victim agreed to marry Firoz because she was afraid of the jinn. Two witnesses were also included in the paperwork while completing the Nikahnama. One witness was named Vikas, while the other’s name is Zulfikar. This Nikahnama is said to have been made on October 27, 2020.
The woman further in her complaint stated that Firoz invited her to his room on January 26 last year and molested her. He also filmed an indecent video of her and later used it to blackmail her. The accused also extorted Rs 2,70,000 from the victim by saying that he would publish the video on social media platforms.
He also sent a copy of the Nikahnama to the girl’s neighbours after he received money from the victim. Later, Firoz demanded an additional Rs 5 lakh from the victim’s family. He blackmailed the family members of the victim saying that if he doesn’t get the money, he would make the Nikahnama and the obscene video public.
The Police in the case have registered an FIR against Firoz, Vikas, and Zulfikar Ali under relevant sections of the law. Further investigations into the case are underway.
Days after Bloomberg blamed ‘India-based Twitter accounts’ for the violence in Leicester in England’s East Midlands region, a researcher exposed how the international news agency had been misleading its readers with click-bait headlines.
On November 16, Bloomberg published an article titled, “India-Based Twitter Accounts Fanned UK Unrest, Researchers Say” and claimed social media activity, originating in India, was responsible for violence in Leicester.
The international news agency shrewdly put the onus of its dubious claim on ‘researchers’ of the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) of Rutgers University.
Screengrab of the article by Bloomberg
“Social media was rife with videos claiming to show mosques being set alight and claims of kidnapping, forcing police to issue warnings that people should not believe misinformation online,” the report stated, without mentioning that the disinformation campaign was the handiwork of Islamists in Leicester.
“Many of the Twitter accounts that amplified the unrest originated in India, researchers said,” it claimed. OpIndia had reported how Islamists had falsely blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for supposedly trying to kidnap a 15-year-old Muslim girl.
A Hindu man was dubbed as a paedophile and his address was leaked on Facebook, as part of the onslaught. Later, it turned out to be fake news.
Bloomberg also relied on the statement of Leicester Mayor Peter Soulsby, who had no qualms about meeting Majid Freeman, an ISIS-sympathising Islamist and a conspiracy theorist. Interestingly, Majid has been at the forefront of fuelling anti-Hindu sentiments in Leicester by peddling fake stories.
“US technology companies played a key role in fanning the confrontations, according to Leicester Mayor Peter Soulsby, numerous media reports and participants including Adam Yusuf, a 21-year-old who told a judge that he brought a knife to a demonstration and was “influenced by social media,” Bloomberg claimed in its report.
We had a productive meeting last night with Peter Soulsby (@CityMayorLeic) where he made some commitments re the rise in #Islamophobia, acknowledged the #Hindutva ideology is causing chaos & lack of funding for youth clubs. Thanks Active Muslims Leicester (AML) for facilitating. pic.twitter.com/rH4nEyFDLG
The news agency also found a way to rope in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suggested that the anti-Hindu violence in Leicester was the fallout of ‘rising intolerance for Muslims’ in India.
“Anti-Muslim sentiment has been rising in majority-Hindu India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to a narrative that Hindus outside the country, some of whom are not Indian, subscribe to Hindutva, a kind of Hindu nationalism,” it claimed.
Researcher slams Bloomberg for quoting her report out of context
It must be reiterated that Bloomberg relied on a research report [pdf] by the Network Contagion Research Institute of Rutgers University for drawing bizarre inferences and making unsubstantiated claims.
On Tuesday (November 22), the lead author of the report, Prasiddha Sudhakar, slammed the news agency for distorting her findings with respect to the Leicester violence.
As a lead author & researcher on the Leicester report released by @ncri_io, I’d like to set the record straight after a @business headline has been picked up and circulated prolifically by other outlets. It’s a distortion of our report & findings. pic.twitter.com/sswmeJhKpg
She pointed out that the contentious headline chosen by Bloomberg did not even feature in her study. “The headline is not a cherry-picked sentence from our study. Nor does it misstate a finding therein. Instead, it concocts a conclusion nowhere present in our report,” Prasiddha Sudhakar added.
While pointing out the misleading nature of the article by the news agency, she said, “The irony that Bloomberg chose a headline that deliberately continues to push a false narrative that our report *debunks and nuances* isn’t lost on me. However, it is indicative of systemic misreporting of the Hindu diaspora and India that infects Western media.”
The irony that @business chose a headline that deliberately continues to push a false narrative that our report *debunks and nuances* isn’t lost on me. However, it is indicative of systemic misreporting of the Hindu diaspora and India that infects Western media.
She reiterated how Bloomberg attributed their self-concocted conclusions to the researchers. “Nowhere did researchers claim Indian accounts tweeted 500x a minute, nor that this “fanned religious violence in the UK,” the lead author of the report added.
The researcher continued, “Our report exhaustively documents the way on-the-ground riots in Leicester were mobilized by local social media accounts, not those in India.”
She noted, “Our report notes that an Indian SM echo chamber amplified blame on Muslims, where some escalated to anti-Muslim rhetoric. There’s no evidence to suggest they “fanned UK unrest,” as Bloomberg puts it. The NCRI report is clear.”
Our report notes that an Indian SM echo chamber amplified blame on Muslims, where some escalated to anti-Muslim rhetoric. There’s no evidence to suggest they “fanned UK unrest,” as @business puts it. The @ncri_io report is clear.
“Our findings suggest that a “Hindutva bogeyman” was constructed locally to mobilize violence. Violence against Hindus & temples was justified under the guise of responding to “Hindutva extremism.” False narratives of Hindu violence spread,” Prasiddha Sudhakar pointed out.
As researchers whose objective was to study the spread of misinformation, we also feel a duty to be exceedingly transparent and to do everything possible to curb the spread of false narratives that @business has unfortunately sparked off.
She concluded, “As researchers whose objective was to study the spread of misinformation, we also feel a duty to be exceedingly transparent and to do everything possible to curb the spread of false narratives that Bloomberg has unfortunately sparked off.”
Other media publications amplify disinformation
Without adhering to journalistic principles of verification and non-sensationalism, several media organisations re-published the contentious article by Bloomberg news agency.
In the absence of due diligence, the disinformation that India-based Twitter accounts were somehow responsible for the unrest in Leicester was further amplified to the readers (both in India and abroad). Singapore-based newspaper ‘The Straits Times’ was at the forefront of peddling the fake information.
Screengrab of the news report by The Straits Times
The Indian Express, which hails itself for its journalism of courage, was also responsible for the amplification of the misleading news.
Screengrab of the news report by The Indian Express
Given that the Bloomberg report indirectly blames Indian Hindus and portrays the Muslim community as the victims in Leicester, it was also picked up by Radio Pakistan for consumption by its brainwashed readers.
Screengrab of the news report by Radio Pakistan
Think tank found no evidence of RSS, or Hindutva gangs in Leicester
Earlier this month, a UK-based think tank debunked the false claims made by Islamists about the presence of ‘RSS terrorists’ and ‘Hindutva extremist organisations’ in Leicester city.
The disinformation was peddled by Islamists to rationalise their targeting of the Hindu community and camouflage their acts of aggression as violence perpetrated in self-defence.
The Henry Jackson Society (HJS), founded in 2005, released a 39-page report [pdf] on November 3 and concluded that the false allegations had exposed the Hindu community in Leicester to hate, vandalism and assault.
“Contrary to press reports at the time, the investigations did not find Hindutva extremist organisations operating in Leicester, but instead discovered a micro-community cohesion issue falsely presented as an issue of organised Hindutva extremism and terrorism,” the summary of the report read.
HJS emphasised, “It finds that false allegations of RSS terrorists and Hindutva extremist organisations active in the UK has put the wider Hindu community at risk from hate, vandalism and assault.”
“Some members of the Hindu community in Leicester imposed a voluntary curfew, some relocated to stay with family or friends until they felt safe to return, while still others were unable to return to work owing to fears for their personal safety,” it further added.
Days after it came to light that Qatar invited Indian fugitive, hate preacher Dr Zakir Naik, to preach Islam to football fans during the FIFA World Cup, reports emerged that the radical preacher met Islamist organisation Muslim Brotherhood’s hate preacher Omar Abdul Kafi before reaching Qatar. Kafi is the Islamist preacher who inspired suicide bomber Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, who carried out the 2010 Stockholm blast.
Two bombs detonated in central Stockholm on December 11, 2010, killing the bomber and injuring 2. The blasts were labelled as terrorist acts by the Swedish Security Service. Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, a Swedish citizen of Iraqi origin, had carried out the bombing. It was then revealed that al-Abdaly was inspired by the teachings of Egypt-based Islamist organisation Muslim Brotherhood’s hate preacher Omar Abdul Kafi.
On Social Media, this information was shared by Saudi-based journalist Zahack Tanveer who Tweeted, “Zakir Naik before reaching #FIFA Qatar, met the #MuslimBrotherhood’s hate-preacher Omar Abdul-Kafi, who inspired #Stockholm suicide bomber Taimur Abdulwahab. Previously, Kafi termed #911 attacks as the “comedy film”, and also gave sermons to eliminate #Jews.”
Zakir Naik himself took to Facebook to share the video of his meeting with Omar Abdul Kafi.
On November 20 it was reported that the radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is accused of money laundering and delivering hate speech in India, has been invited to Qatar to preach Islam. According to reports, Zakir Naik reached Doha ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and he will give religious lectures throughout the tournament in the country.
Videos showed Zakir Naik arriving at a FIFA World Cup venue in Qatar ahead of the opening ceremony on the 20th of November.
It is notable that Zakir Naik holds similar views on the Islamic prophet as remarked by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma. Qatar had vehemently protested when Nupur Sharma had talked about Prophet Mohammad’s marriage, and it was one of the first countries to complain to the Indian government over the controversy that erupted following the remarks by ex-Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
Zakir Naik is wanted by Indian police on suspicion of money laundering and hate speech in India. India barred Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation from operating, accusing him of inciting and assisting its followers in promoting or attempting to foster sentiments of animosity, hatred, or ill-will amongst religious communities and groups. After leaving India in 2016, Zakir Naik fled to Malaysia.
On March 30, 2022, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notice declaring the Islamic Research Foundation an illegal association and banned it for the next five years. This organization was established by Zakir Naik.
Zakir Naik’s Islamist preachings and its violent consequences
The radical Islamist activities of Zakir Naik have been well documented. In 2016, terrorists involved in the Dhaka blast case admitted that they were influenced by the preacher’s speeches.
In 2019, Naik was banned from giving speeches in Malaysia after he made racist comments against Hindus and Chinese Malaysians. He was interrogated for hours in connection to the same. The government of India had taken his channel, Peace TV, off the air for peddling hate propaganda.
On November 22, the Guardian’s ‘good samaritan’ Majid Freeman claimed in a tweet that over 500 people (apparently tourists visiting Qatar to enjoy FIFA World Cup 2022) have converted to Islam. Not to forget, Freeman was used as one of the “legitimate” voices during the Leicester violence, where Hindus were attacked for weeks. OpIndia reported how he was accused of fanning violence and was caught spreading fake news on several occasions.
Majid Freeman claimed people were converting to Islam. Source: Twitter
In the tweet, he wrote, “Allahu Akbar! We’ve heard from local daees in Qatar that 500+ people have embraced Islam recently.” Furthermore, he shared a video claiming that a Mexican fan embraced Islam. He added, “Thousands of fans from around the world are there. May they get an opportunity to see the beauty of Islam, and may Allah guide them.”
Though he made such claims, there were no reports in the media of people converting to Islam. Not even the Guardian, which was found of taking his views at face value during the Leister violence, has reported anything that would support his claims.
Interestingly, a Nigeria-based news website, ‘Muslim News’ recently named The Guardian the ‘Most hijab friendly media house’. The website ran a poll to find which media house was the most hijab friendly. The Guardian won the poll and got whooping 75 votes! This is the same portal that had awarded the financial fraud accused Rana Ayyub as the ‘Global Muslim Media Person 2021’.
Freeman is not the only one claiming such conversions on the sidelines of FIFA World Cup 2022. A Twitter user Abu Siddiq claimed in a tweet that 558 people have converted to Islam so far on the sidelines of the world cup in Qatar. He wrote, “With the way things are going, and with the grand entrance of Shaykh Dr Zakir Naik and his team into Qatar, thousands of Europeans will see the light and accept Islam.”
Twitter user claimed 558 people were converting to Islam. Source: Twitter
Dilly Hussain, the Deputy editor of 5PillarsUK, whose Twitter handle was withheld by the Indian authorities for spreading fake news, made similar claims. He wrote, “At least 558 people have accepted Islam in one week in Qatar. Alhamdulillah.” Interestingly, no such reports were found on the 5PillarsUK website.
Deputy editor of 5PillarUK, a propaganda website, claimed 558 people in Qatar converted to Islam. Source: Twitter
Who is Majid Freeman, and the allegations against him
To understand who Majid Freeman is, we must travel back to 2013 when ISIS activity was at its peak in Syria. In 2013, BBC aired a documentary about the “Aid for Syria” convoy which had “humanitarian organisations” and “activists” travelling to Syria to help those affected by ISIS atrocities. BBC at the time hid the names of the charities involved in the convoy – it was later revealed by analyst and scholar Sam Westrop that those charities were One Nation, Al Fatiha Global, and Aid4Syria.
In 2013, when the Aid For Syria charity was being exposed for its fundamentalist Islamist nature by several scholars, Majid Freeman was in Syria under this banner, with another “aid worker” Alan Henning, who was later abducted and beheaded by ISIS. He was with Henning when he was abducted by ISIS, indicates reports.
Freeman spoke at the memorial service for Henning, calling him a beautiful man who helped when the international community looked away. However, according to a Telegraph report, only two weeks after the beheading, Freeman started posting messages supporting ISIS. In his Facebook post, he asked for “dua” for a British ISIS terrorist Ifthekar Jaman who was charged with a Syrian terror plot. He also posted a video that essentially said that ISIS was a reasonable response to Western policy and said, “This brother hit the nail on the head”.
Majid Freeman, according to the Telegraph report, has expressed support for Al Qaeda terrorists calling them Shaheed, said that Al Aqsa will be conquered by Jihad, and expressed sympathy and support to the Al Qaeda cleric who incited terrorist attacks against non-Muslims.
Interestingly, the Telegraph report also reveals that Freeman was questioned by the police but was not charged with any crime in relation to Aid4Syria.
Majid has, essentially, encouraged European Muslims to “do jihad in Syria,” and has promoted “tributes” to the late Al Qaeda terrorist Anwar Al-Awlaki on his Twitter and Facebook accounts – this screenshot was posted by Sam Westrop in his expose.
Majid Freeman and his links with organisations connected to Al Qaeda, IHH: Is there a PFI connection?
At the heart of this question, are three so-called charities that were ‘working’ in Syria – Aid4Syria, Al Fatiha Global (Aid4Syria’s parent organisation), IHH, Children in Deen and One Nation.
It is pertinent to note that Majid Freeman was travelling in the humanitarian convoy to Syria along with these organisations and is personally involved with others like One Nation and Aid4Syria.
Given the involvement of Majid Freeman in the violence against Hindus in Leicester, the misinformation he spread to instigate Muslims to target Hindus, and his terror-sympathising views and associations, one has to wonder if there is more to the violence than meets the eye. The fact that IHH was involved in the Syrian convoy, of which Freeman was a part, and that IHH has forged an alliance with the banned radical Islamist organisation PFI in India which works explicitly against Hindus (read this vision document to know about their plans to turn India Islamic and subjugate Hindus) raises far more questions than it answers.
Zakir Naik’s Qatar visit to preach Islam
Recently, it was reported that Zakir Naik, the Islamic Preacher from India wanted for financial fraud and other crimes, reached Qatar to preach Islam. A video from 2016 went viral where he was seen converting people to Islam in Qatar. Though the video was old, there are speculations that his preaching on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup 2022 may be directed at conversions of visiting football fans.
