On September 23, the Kenya Film Certification Board (KFCB) banned all films containing LGBTQ+ content citing it as ‘blasphemous’ to Christianity and against the constitution of Kenya.
Christopher Wambua, the acting CEO of the KFCB said the Kenyan law does not allow LGBTQ+ content and same-sex relationships.
“When we rate and categorize content, we also take into account other applicable laws.” If there is any content that normalizes or praises same-sex relationships, Kenya’s stance has always been to restrict and not broadcast, display, or distribute such kind of content within the country’s borders,” Wambua said in an interview with Spice FM.
Wambua went on to name films that had been banned from release, such as ‘I am Samuel,’ for what he called the explicit portrayal of homosexuality-related scenes.
I am Samuel was banned in Kenya in 2021, for depicting a ‘blasphemous’ story of a gay couple in Nairobi.
Concerning the increasing distribution of same-sex content on the web, Wambua stated that the government is striving to guarantee that preventative measures are put in place to restrict the airing of such content in the country.
“Most of them are restricting; as a result of our discussions with Netflix, they are curating their classification system that is very affiliated with our laws with the intention of ensuring that in the future, once we sign the agreement, some of this content is not visible at all within the republic,” Wambua explained.
“There is no vacuum, whether you are displaying in a theatre or on a VOD platform; the law is extremely clear.”
At the same time, the KFCB CEO recommended parents be proactive in sensitizing their children by filtering content to limit access to unapproved content. He claimed that doing so would help them develop culturally ‘acceptable’ behaviour.
The Board is collaborating with other organizations such as the Communication Authority of Kenya, Google Kenya, Evimet Communications Solutions Limited, Netflix, and CODE-IP Trust, among others, on Digital Parenting and Child Online Protection programs that aim to provide parents/caregivers with digital parenting skills and knowledge.
Wambua also said that KFCB has banned a number of films in the past years over their LBTQ+ content and for promoting same-sex relationships.
This ban comes one year after KFCB banned a 52-minute documentary, ‘I Am Samuel’ . It was banned for its storyline promoting homosexuality.
Back then, the film classification body stated that the film “blatantly” violated the country’s laws, which criminalize any kinds of homosexuality or same-sex marriage, and that the plot was a “clear and purposeful attempt by the filmmaker to promote same-sex marriage as an acceptable way of life.”
It stated that the film’s goal was to persuade viewers that the “older generation that was once opposed to LGBTQ+ is slowly getting into the practice and supporting same-sex marriage.”
The film was also deemed blasphemous to the Christian faith by the government. According to the government, two young men are depicted conducting a religious service, which is “an attempt to exploit religion to support same-sex marriage.”
Kenyan law punishes anyone who engages in “carnal knowledge of any individual against the order of nature.” People who are convicted face up to 14 years in prison. Marriage, according to the Kenyan constitution, is a union of two people of opposite genders.
Like clockwork, prominent Muslim influencers, activists and other assorted rabble-rousers descended upon Twitter to cry ‘Muslims under threat’ after the radical organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associate organisations which have been linked to various terror activities across India were banned for a period of five years. Other than perpetrating terror activities on Indian soil, these Islamist organisations also wanted to establish an Islamic caliphate in India by 2047.
Amongst the prominent voices was Arif Ayyub, brother of financial fraud accused Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub.
PFI banned, Muslims almost negligible in parliament and state legislatures, Muslim representation amongst law enforcement agencies at it’s lowest, Muslim voices that demand justice intimidated or jailed.
After the ban of radical organisation, Ayyub pondered about lower representation of Muslims in parliament and state governments and then asked what choices are Muslims in India left with.
This crackdown on radicalisation was taken too personally by Ayyub who tagged PM Modi and HM Shah and said that the ‘Muslim problem’ is not going away.
@narendramodi@AmitShah your Muslim “problem” is not going away. There are 250 million Muslims in India and your prisons don’t have enough space to hold us.
Let our faith in India remain because if we lose our hope in our future and faith in the justice system, all will be lost
This, after he even claimed that the radical outfit which is publishing jihadi literature and carrying out terror attacks does not represent him, a Muslim man. If radical outfits like PFI do not represent him, then why not welcome a move that cracks down on organisations which are radicalising youth of their community with specific intention to carry out atrocities including murders of Hindus.
Yes I #StandwithPFI because they deserves your support and India needs them. PFi targeted unjustly, harassment and crackdown against the leader's and member's of popular front of India Going-ON in undemocratic draconian manner, community NGO's should be respected ! pic.twitter.com/XkVpX86Xsb
One Samiullah Khan who identifies himself as journalist branded PFI as a ‘community NGO’. A ‘community NGO’ that imparts bomb-making knowledge to its cadres. Of course.
He also called ban on PFI as ‘Islamophobia’.
Modi government Banned the leading NGO of Indian Muslims "Popular Front Of India" this is dark day utterly injustice & islamophobia. By this Dictatorship Modi govt is going to suppress thousands of active Muslims, this will not help the BJP-RSS, this is Fear of RSS!#StandwithPFIpic.twitter.com/AXPij7dwgJ
Many Muslim social media users also claimed that the PFI crackdown is in name of ‘so called terrorism’ and it is used to suppress voice of Muslims in India.
In the name of so called terrorism, the voice of Muslims is being suppressed, the action against @PFIOfficial across the country is conspiracy by this fascist and RSS government because they does not want any voices of Muslims to be raised or heard. #StandwithPFI
Days after nationwide crackdown on Islamist outfit PFI, on Wednesday the government of India banned the outfit for five years citing national security. During these raids, the investigation agencies recovered manuals to make IEDs, weapons, GPS devices, cash, and jihadi documents.
On Friday (September 23), Hindu American Foundation (HAF) slapped the Jamat-e-Islami linked Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) with a legal notice for falsely labelling the advocacy group as a ‘Hindu supremacist outfit.’
In an article published on September 15, IAMC alleged that the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee (TDMC) in New Jersey passed a resolution, accusing ‘Hindu nationalist organisations’ of infiltrating the political system of the United States.
The Islamist outfit claimed that TDMC labelled Hindu American Foundation and other US-based Hindu organisations as ‘domestic branches of foreign hate groups.’ It also called for stepping up research on ‘foreign hate groups that have domestic branches with tax-exempt status.”
Screengrab of the article by Indian American Muslim Council
Citing the contentious resolution, Indian American Muslim Council further alleged that HAF has ‘direct and indirect ties’ with RSS. It insinuated that RSS is inspired by European fascism and Nazism. IAMC also said that the resolution by TDMC called for stopping ‘Hindu extremists’ from speaking engagements at US temples and large events in the country.
Hindu American Foundation, through law firm Harder LLP, sent a legal notice to IAMC for falsely labelling it as a ‘US-based Hindu supremacist’ group. It also slammed the Islamist outfit for calling it the ‘domestic branch of foreign hate groups’ and accusing HAF of ‘blocking congressional attempts to warn against the Hindu nationalist movement.”
The Hindu advocacy group also pointed out how IAMC falsely accused it of sending ‘1 million emails, death threats and rape threats.’ In a statement, it said, “IAMC published the Defamatory Statements made with knowledge of their falsity and/or reckless disregard for the truth. There is extensive, publicly available information, contradicting the Defamatory Statements.”
Responding to the @DemsTeaneck resolution, first distributed by @IAMCouncil, calling for FBI/CIA surveillance of Hindu American orgs, HAF’s lawyers just sent this letter to IAMC.
IAMC’s leader,Truschke & others are already defendants in a pending lawsuit accused of defaming HAF. pic.twitter.com/OGgiS54bz8
“HAF seeks to serve Hindu Americans across all sampradaya (Hindu religious traditions), regardless of race, colour, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, age and/or disability…HAF does not support or spread Hindu nationalism and/or supremacy in India or promote it in the United States or elsewhere in the world,” it added.
The Hindu American Foundation directed IAMC to remove the defamatory content from its press release and publish a correction/ apology on its website and social media accounts within 24 hours.
“Cease and desist from publishing further false and defamatory statements about HAF relating to the subject matter of the Press Release,” it cautioned.
Regardless of IAMC’s response, the IAMC’s publishing of the @DemsTeaneck resolution further demonstrates a pattern of defamation against HAF. This is exactly why we have an ongoing lawsuit.
We encourage other targeted Hindu orgs to explore all options to stand up against hate.
“Please confirm in writing within twenty-four (24) hours of the transmission of this letter that the foregoing demands will be, and are being, fully complied with. Failure to do so will leave our client with no alternative but to consider instituting immediate legal proceedings against IAMC, ” it concluded.
What is IAMC and what does it do?
The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and had even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom).
A detailed report by Disinfo Lab has exposed its links with terror outfit Jamat-e-Islami. IAMC founder Shaik Ubaid and member Abdul Malik Mujahid have headed the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan.
According to DisInfo Lab, ICNA has established links with Pakistan-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rasheed Ahmed, who heads the IAMC currently was the former executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). IMANA’s Director of Operations is Zahid Mahmood an ex-Pak Navy official.
IAMC has been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It was also slapped with UAPA in 2021.
The Islamist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI) and its sister organisations and fronts, were banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India under the UAPA Act via a notification on September 27. Before the ban was announced, multiple raids were conducted on the locations linked to PFI leaders, workers and associates.
During these raids, the investigation agencies recovered manuals to make IEDs, weapons, GPS devices, cash, and jihadi documents.
Bomb-making manuals recovered
One of the most incriminating materials recovered during the raids was the manual on how to make IEDs. Titled ‘A short course on “How to make IEDs using easily available material’, the document suggested that if Muslim youth knows how to make bombs, it will “empower them”.
Bomb-making manual recovered from PFI leader.
Under the list of objectives, it provided five points that were:
To empower and strengthen the “oppressed” Muslim youth
To destabilise the well-developed infrastructure of the pagans (non-Muslim)
To attract the attention of the masses in a single blow
To create terror in the heart of the infidels
To regain the lost dominance of the Muslims in the Indian subcontinent
The document further detailed the material to be used in the bomb, how to make it at home and how to maximise the effect of the bomb.
High-tech communication devices recovered
During the raids, the investigation agencies recovered wireless communication devices from Barakabdullah, Ramnad West District President and State President, Fisherman Wing, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Valinokkam in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
Wireless communication device recovered from PFI
The devices recovered were Lowrance LHR-80 Floating Handheld VHF with GPS. These devices help to navigate sea routes. As per reports, there is a possibility that PFI was using these devices for sea terror activities and money laundering.
Gazwa-e-Hind and other material recovered
Apart from the above-mentioned materials, agencies also recovered brochures and CDs related to Vision 2047, which is a document containing material for converting India into an Islamic state by the year 2047. The document, along with PE training material, was recovered from the house of PFI Maharashtra’s state president.
PE material recovered during raids.
From the houses of PFI leaders in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, agencies recovered a huge amount of undocumented cash.
Cash recovered during raids.
Also, documents on ‘short course on how to make IEDs etc. using easily available materials, pen drives containing videos related to ISIS, Gajwa-e-Hind etc. were recovered from UP PFI leadership.
IED manual and weapons recovered during raids.
List of prominent PFI leaders linked to criminal activities
Several PFI leaders are linked to criminal and terrorist activities. OMA Salam, PFI chairman, was suspended from his department Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). There is an investigation underway for his unauthorised travel abroad and also holding the post of PFI Chairman while being a government employee.
Investigation agencies recovered a diary during raids from M Mohammed Ismail, who is a close associate of Salam. The diary revealed a sinister plan of the organisation to create a civil war-like situation in the country.
National Secretary of PFI Nazarudheen Ealamaram reportedly has ten cases registered against him under different sections.
National Executive Council member of PFI P Koya was a committed SIMI leader and an Ansar during 1978-79. He was behind creating a divide between Mali and Gujjar community in Rajasthan.
EM Abdul Rahiman was the All India General Secretary of SIMI in 1984 and was also associated with Karuna Foundation, which is a pro-SIMI organisation. Notably, Rahiman and Koya were privately hosted by IHH, an Al-Qaida-linked Turkish charity organisation.
General Secretary of PFI Anis Ahmed openly supported and praised Hamas, which is an international terrorist organisation.
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).
PFI & its associates incl Rehab India Foundation(RIF), Campus Front of India(CFI), All India Imams Council(AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Org(NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Jr Front, Empower India Foundation &Rehab Foundation, Kerala declared unlawful associations
It is noteworthy that PFI and its sister organisations have a presence in over 17 states in the country. Police and NIA had registered over 1,300 criminal cases against the cadres of PFI and its front organisations in different states. Some of these cases were also registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act/UAPA, the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act and other heinous sections of IPC.
In a gazetted notification, the GoI named its associates as Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
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”.
Source: MHA
It was further mentioned that these organisations used their mass outreach and fundraising capacities to strengthen their capabilities for unlawful activities. It added, “The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational and political organisation, but they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country.”
Furthermore, PFI and its associates were found to be “indulging in unlawful activities which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country”.
Links between PFI and SIMI
The notification clearly established a link between PFI and the banned Islamist organisation Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). It further added that PFI is also linked to with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), also a banned organisation. In several instances, PFI was found to be connected to global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Source: MHA
‘PFI cadre joined international terrorist organisations’
It was pointed out that PFI members have joined international terrorist organisations. The government said, “The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.” GoI added that some of these cadres were killed in conflicts, and some were arrested by State Police and Central Agencies.
Cases that led to the ban of PFI
It was revealed that PFI’s involvement was found in several cases during the investigation, such as chopping off the limb of a college professor TJ Joseph and the murder of several persons, including one of the most recent ones where a Hindu activist Praveen Nettaru in Bellare town, district Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka. A total of ten accused were arrested in the case, and all of them were members of PFI. The local Police’s investigation revealed that the murder was planned by PFI and members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), which is the political front of PFI.
Other cases include the murder of Sanjith, an RSS worker in Kerala who was killed by cadres of PFI on November 15, 2021. In Tamil Nadu, the PFI cadres killed V Ramalingam (a Hindu leader) for challenging its Dawah activities in 2019. Other cases included the murder of Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), R Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Poojari (Karnataka, 2016) and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016).
Reports suggest that some AQ and ISIS training videos depicting gruesome murders had also been recovered from the PFI cadre accused in this case. Notably, such activities create fear and a feeling of terror among the members of other religious communities.
During investigations, agencies also recovered explosives and jihadi literature from the Padam forest area (district Kollam) in June 2021. PFI was using the forest area as a military training site. In April 2013, Kerala Police recovered arms and explosive materials from an arms training site in Narath (district Kannur). 41 PFI cadres were convicted in the case in 2016.
On July 4, a case was registered against one Abdul Khader, PFI’s Physical education instructor who had trained over 200 cadres of the organisation at his martial art training centre in Nizamabad. 26 other persons were also booked by the Police. During interrogation, it was revealed by the accused that PFI would be Muslim youth, specifically from the poor or middle class. They were instilled with anti-Hindutva ideology and imparted training that involved the use of swords and nun-chucks.
Funding of PFI and its usage in criminal or terrorist activities
GoI mentioned that PFI and its associates conspired and raised funds not only from India but from abroad via banking channels, hawala and donations under a well-crafted criminal conspiracy. These funds were transferred, layered and integrated using multiple accounts to project these organisations as legitimate. However, according to the GoI notification, these funds were used to carry out “various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India”.
It is noteworthy that upon an investigation of the PFI accounts, it was found that over 100 accounts were not in sync with the financial profiles of the account holders. The Income Tax department, therefore, withdrew the registration status of PFI under sections 12A & 12 AA of the IT Act.
Recommendations for a ban on PFI
The notification pointed out that the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat recommended banning PFI. Furthermore, it said, “The Central Government is of the opinion that if there is no immediate curb or control of unlawful activities of the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts, the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts, will use this opportunity to cause public disturbance, undermine the constitution of India, encourage and enforce terror based regime, propagate anti-national sentiments, radicalise particular section of the society and aggravate activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country”.
Country-wide raids on PFI
It is noteworthy that in the last couple of weeks, the central agencies, including NIA and ED, along with state police, have raided over a hundred locations linked to PFI across the country. More than 150 cadres of PFI were arrested or detained, including its chief OMA Salam.
The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) has turned down the England and Wales Cricket Board’s informal proposal of hosting India vs Pakistan test series in England.
Sources close to BCCI said the chances of Indo-Pak bilateral series in the near future are “next to nil”.
“Firstly, ECB spoke to PCB about an Indo-Pak series and that’s a bit weird. In any case, a series against Pakistan is not something that the BCCI will decide but it is the decision of the government. As of now, the stance remains the same. We only play Pakistan at multi-team events,” a senior BCCI official privy to India’s position told PTI on Tuesday.
Barring multi-team tournaments, India and Pakistan have not played against each other in bilateral series in any format since January 2013, and their last Test match was played in December2007.
Earlier today, Martin Darlow, the ECB’s deputy chair, floated the idea of hosting India vs Pakistan test series in England to PCB chair Ramiz Raja during his visit to Pakistan for England’s ongoing T20 international series. Analysts view it as an attempt by the ECB to mend ties with PCB after England’s last-minute withdrawal from a scheduled two-match series in Pakistan last year.
The UK daily Telegraph stated the precise reason why the ECB made the offer. “The matches would attract big crowds in the UK, which has a large ex-pat south Asian population,” it said. “The matches attract huge sponsorship revenue and television audiences.”
Pakistan Cricket Board and former Pakistani players have long held an olive branch and expressed their desire to organise a bilateral series between India and Pakistan. However, BCCI is not keen on having a cricketing relationship with PCB owing to the stance of the Indian government toward Pakistan, holding Islamabad responsible for providing safe havens to India-centric terrorists.
Hours after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other federal agencies conducted the second round of arrests and raids as part of its ‘largest’ nationwide crackdown on the radical Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) sources in the Delhi police revealed that PFI was planning major mass unrest in Delhi and several other states, a Times Now report said.
The source was quoted by the media house as saying that the radical outfit was planning to organise a Shaheen Bagh-style protest. Moreover, they were planning mass riots and communal tension, riding on the sympathy wave, said sources.
Moreover, the report quotes the source in the Delhi police as saying that the investigation revealed that PFI had built intelligence units operating at the district level which would gather information and pass it on to their cadre. They were allegedly responsible for collating information for PFI’s hit list as well, Times Now reported.
Further, speaking about the PFI plot News 18 also quoted a source as saying that the members of the radical Islamic organisation wanted a repeat of the 2020 North-East anti-Hindu riots.
PFI planning a repeat of the 2020 North-east Delhi riots
A report by News 18 quoted a source as saying that PFI’s one group was involved in mass mobilisation to gain international sympathy and calls were made for legal assistance. These groups seem political, but they have terror links and wanted a repeat of the riots like in East Delhi, said sources.
Additionally, the students ofJamia Millia University in Delhi have been warned against holding protests amid the ongoing crackdown against PFI in the city. Section 144 has been imposed in the entire Jamia Nagar area, where Jamia University is situated, from September 19 to November 11 in order to keep the law and order situation in check, News 18 reported.
Notably, the 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots were not any stand-alone incident but a culmination of what began on December 11th, 2019 and the so-called ‘anti-CAA protests’ at the Shaheen Bagh planned and orchestrated by Sharjeel Imam was one of the many plots that were simultaneously being hatched by the ultra-left-wing secessionists and Islamists to push their anti-India agenda and create anarchy in the country ahead of the Delhi elections.
The ‘Shaheen Bagh’ protest, which was supposed to be a ‘peaceful protest’ never turned out to be one, and many other such ploys ultimately culminated in what could be called one of the worst anti-Hindu riots that India ever witnessed in recent years.
Second round of NIA raids
Meanwhile, on September 27, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with other investigation agencies, carriedout the second round of raids on the Islamist organisation Popular Front of India. As per reports, the raids took place in eight different states and the investigation agencies detained a total of 170 members have been detained till Tuesday (September 27, 2022) amid the ongoing raids against radical Islamic organization Popular Front of India (PFI) across the country.
NIA has also reportedly received a lot of crucial information during the interrogation of the PFI leaders who were arrested during the first round of the raids. Based on the information, NIA, state police, and other investigation agencies carried out the second round of raids against the organisation.
Round one of NIA raids
On September 22, the NIA, Enforcement Directorate and state police in 15 states raided locations linked to PFI. The raids were carried out at 93 locations in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur. Over 100 PFI leaders and members were arrested by the investigation agencies.
The raids were conducted based on the inputs and evidence that the organisation was linked to terror funding across the country. PFI reportedly organised camps to provide arms training and radicalised the members of the community to join banned organisations. PFI chief OMA Salam’s house was also raided during the first round. Similar raids were conducted on September 19 as well.
PFI organised protests
Following the raids, PFI members in 15 states organised protests and accused the government of attacking the organisation. Interestingly, during one of the protests in Pune, PFI members raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday arrested Vijay Nair, one of the accused in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022 case. Vijay Nair, a close aide of Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia, was one of the 15 people who were named in the FIR filed by the CBI in connection with the allegations of corruption against Manish Sisodia and other AAP leaders in connection to the Delhi liquor scam.
Vijay Nair, former CEO of event mgmt company Only Much Louder and an accused in the Delhi Excise Policy case, arrested by CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation): Sources
The FIR filed by CBI in the liquor scam stated that Nair was “actively involved in irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD of Delhi for the year 2021-22.”
Association between Vijay Nair and Aam Aadmi Party
Vijay Nair was the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a Mumbai-based entertainment and event management company named Only Much Louder (OML). He worked as a ‘part-time volunteer’ of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in the run-up to the 2020 Delhi State Legislative Assembly polls. During his stint with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, he helped organise party events and manage social media handles.
AAP MLA Atishi Marlena told Caravan that Nair was an ‘ad-hoc worker’, a claim denied by the party’s national council member Ankit Lal. He pointed out that the ex-OML CEO has been associated with AAP for over 5-6 years. Lal stated that Nair is his go-to person for strategising digital campaigns.
A news report published in The Times of India shows that Vijay Nair has been with the Aam Aadmi Party since January 2014.’Even before being personally benefitted by the association, the ex-OML CEO had confessed to donating to the AAP. As such, it came as a surprise when Atishi Marlena introduced Vijay Nair as an ‘Adhoc worker’, who was not in a position of power.
Allegations of sexual harassment against Vijay Nair
In an article published in November 2018, Caravan cited victim testimonies to claim that the ex-OML CEO created an unsafe and misogynistic environment for the female workers.
Caravan alleged that the man, behind India’s premier music festivals, asked a woman to get into a bathtub with him. It claimed that Nair engaged in sexual activity during a work call with a woman, without her consent.
The article went on to say that Nair messaged his female co-workers regularly and how they were caught in a state of fix while trying to refuse his sexual advances.
Allegations of corruption in the Excise Policy Scam
At the heart of the controversy is the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-2022. The now-scrapped liquor policy of the Delhi government was originally proposed in 2020. After coming into effect in November 2021, it changed the manner in which alcohol was sold in Delhi.
Until then, only government-owned liquor vendors were permitted to sell alcohol. The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022 introduced private players in the market. The National Capital was divided into 32 zones and a total of 27 private vendors were to ply in each zone.
Every municipal ward had 2-3 liquor vendors operating in the area. The private liquor shops were allowed to attract crowds by offering discounts on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). They could deliver liquor at home, and even keep shops open till 3 am in the morning.
The drastic policy change resulted in a 27% increase in government revenue to ₹8900 crores. At the same time, it marked the complete exit of the Delhi government from the liquor business.
While the objective of Excise Policy 2021-2022 was to end black marketing and the liquor mafia, the AAP government soon came under fire over allegations of corruption. Naresh Kumar, who was appointed the Chief Secretary of Delhi in April 2022, found irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy.
The Chief Secretary prepared a report and sought the response of Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the head of the Excise Department. The report blamed the Deputy CM for making changes to the excise policy without the authorisation of the Lieutenant Governor and providing ‘undue benefits’ to the liquor vendors.
Manish Sisodia reportedly waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the Coronavirus pandemic. He also caused loss to the Excise Department and benefitted liquor licensees by waiving the import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case.
All these changes were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993. The CBI had therefore registered a case against Vijay Nair and 14 others.
Darul Uloom Deoband has a long history of issuing controversial Fatwas. Deobandi Islam is said to be the most widely practised form of Islam in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, with many senior Afghan and Pakistani Taliban leaders attending Deobandi seminaries.
A large number of questions on the website of Darul Uloom Deoband website seek solutions from the Deobandi school on family, health, marriage relationship, and other topics. Here are some questions from practising Muslims to scholars on eating food made or served by Hindus and visiting Hindu temples.
Advise on food prepared by Hindus
A practising Muslim asked a question regarding food cooked by Hindus. His query was in two sections, the first one being if it is advisable to sit beside a Hindu and eat his own food, and, the second being if it is acceptable in Islam to eat food cooked by Hindus. It is pertinent to note that the question has been raised from Pakistan.
In the answer to the first part of the question, it is written that sharing a table with a non-Muslim is acceptable only when the meals are separate. It is also mentioned that the Muslim person should eat in a way that the non-Muslim gets persuaded to convert to Islam. ” If you have separate meal, there is no wrong in sharing a table with a Hindu. Islam allows tolerance, rather if you eat according to sunnah with an intention to impress your colleague and invite him to Islam then you may be rewarded for the same,” the answer reads.
The query.
Notably, it was advised to avoid food prepared in a Hindu house. “One should avoid eating food prepared in a Hindu house; specially the foods which doubtfully may contain haram ingredients or may be offerings of their gods, such food are haram and prohibited. Yes, you may eat the food about which you are satisfied,” the answer further reads.
Eating halal food brought in by non-muslim friend
The next question is from Australia, which concerns eating food that is halal but is made by a non-Muslim. The questioner asks if it is desirable to eat halal food cooked by a non-Muslim who eats pork. The answer reads that it is advisable to stop eating the food and instead invite the friend to eat the food you prefer and prepare. The answer advises the questioner to eat and drink separately in order to protect religion.
The query.
“… it is better as per the question mentioned above to excuse eating with him completely and if you feel it hard then say him that in future you will cook the food for you and for him and you both will eat it together. If he does not accept your proposal then you also reject his proposal, it is better and safer for you. In arranging separate eating and drinking there lies safety of your religion which should be given priority in comparison to friendship,” the answer reads.
Eating food items given in temples
This question inquires about the permission to eat food items that have been offered by a temple. The answer reads that it is Haram to eat food from temples. “It is unlawful and haram to eat if it is surely known that the items were offered to their gods and goddesses or the items are impure. However, a Muslim should avoid going into temples,” the answer reads.
The query.
Eating food in non-Muslim canteen
This questioner inquires about eating food in a canteen which is run by non-Muslims and serves halal food but since the staff is non-Muslim, they can’t be trusted. The questioner asks if it is advisable to consume egg and veg Biryani. The answer mentions that it is acceptable to eat egg and veg Biryanis but chicken should be skipped.
The query.
Food from Hindu hotel
This questioner’s query is about eating in restaurants owned by Hindus. The questioner hails from India and asks if it is okay to eat at a hotel run by Hindus. The answer reads that though one can eat halal food at a restaurant or hotel run by Hindus, it is not advisable to go to a hotel that is run by a non-Muslim.
Uloom Darul Uloom Deoband is the origin of the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement and an Islamic seminary (Darul Uloom) in India. It is located in Deoband, a town in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Deoband has also issued a number of odd Fatwas in the past. They had instructed Muslim women not to allow shopkeepers to touch them while putting on bangles, and they had barred DJs and music from playing at Muslim weddings. Some of them can be checked here.
International media outlet ‘The Guardian‘ Monday reported about the incident where a gunman opened fire in a school in the central Russian city of Izhevsk, killing at least six people and injuring 20 before killing himself. While reporting on the horrible killing, the media outlet, in keeping with its Hinduphobic propaganda, stated that the killer was wearing a jacket with the holy Hindu ‘Swastika’.
It is worth mentioning that this is the tactic used by Hindumisic propagandists who intentionally link ‘Swastika’ to the Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked cross) in order to indicate that Hindus draw their inspiration from Nazis.
In line with Hinduphobic propaganda, the article published by The Guardian on September 26 with the headline, “Gunman with swastika on T-shirt kills 15 at Russian school,” read that the killer was dressed all in black, with a red Swastika in a circle drawn on his T-shirt. It further said that the police were looking into the Swastika-wearing killer’s “adherence to neo-fascist viewse and Nazi ideology”.
Article published by the Guardian on September 26
Likewise, many other international media houses like Global News, The Times, vice.com, Toronto Sun, South China morning post and NBC News displayed the same Hinduphobia while reporting about the incident. They too referred to the gunman who adhered to Nazi ideologies as a ‘Swastika-wearing killer’.
Anyone looking at the symbol on the gunman’s jacket will notice that the symbol these media outlets are egregiously dubbing Swastika is actually the Nazi Hakenkreuz. It’s not exactly rocket science to distinguish between the two. There are some obvious contrasts between the holy Hindu Swastika and the Nazi symbol. These popular foreign media outlets, however, continue to overlook the facts and blatantly link the two symbols to malign Hindus.
The symbol displayed on the gunmen’s jacket (source: Global News)
These western media houses, that partook in this grotesque exercise of defaming the Hindu symbol and comparing it with the emblem that represented one of the most brutal cults that the world had witnessed in the 20th century, probably, need to be re-educated.
Swastika and the Hakenkreuz debate
There is a huge difference between the two symbols, which they have ridiculously considered as one and the same, thereby not only hurting Hindu feelings but also displaying their innate Hinduphobia.
The Nazi Hekenkreuz (L), the holy Hindu Swastika (R)
When translated from its Sanskrit root, Swatika comprises of ‘su’ meaning ”good” and ‘asti’ meaning ”to be”. In other words, well-being. It dates back some 6,000 years to rock and cave paintings. Scholars generally agree it originated in India.
It has also meant a symbol of good luck, prosperity and all things auspicious for other ancient cultures, including the Vikings and Greeks, besides Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.
A religious symbol for Hindus, the Swastika was first mentioned in the Vedas. It symbolises many things like Surya (the sun) and Brahma, the creator. It is seen as a power symbol and is also the emblem of Ganesha, the god of good luck. In both Hinduism and Jainism, the Swastika is used to mark the opening pages of account books, doors and thresholds.
In fact, it is found that the Swastika was also used in Ancient Greece and can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy, which existed 4,000 years ago. The ancient Druids and the Celts also used the symbol. It was used by Nordic tribes and even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, including the Teutonic Knights, a German medieval military order, which became a purely religious Catholic Order.
Furthermore, the American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s oldest Jewish advocacy organizations, released a leaflet clarifying the distinction between the Swastika used for millennia by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cultures and the deformed Nazi version of it.
Hindu organisations and activists in Australia condemn proposal for inclusion of Swastika in hate symbols
In fact, in May the Hindu Council of Australia issued a press release wherein it objected to the proposal to include Swastika in hate symbols. They pointed out that while the Council stands with the authorities and communities to ban the hate symbols, it “strongly opposes the prohibition or criminalisation of our ancient, auspicious and holy symbol, the Swastika.”
They further added that it was disappointing that MP referred to the Nazi symbol as Swastika and not as “Hakenkreuz” or the Hooked Cross.
The Council further urged the MP to publicly clarify that prohibition would be limited to the Nazi hate symbol ‘Hakenkreuz’ and NOT the holy Swastika.
This came after Queensland MP Annastacia Palaszczuk had proposed to ban ‘the public display of hate symbols such as swastikas’. After MP Palaszczuk announced the proposal, the Hindus strongly objected to it and urged the MP to change the language of the proposal.
Speaking to OpIndia, Australian barrister and Australian Hindu Association President Amendra Singh said, “Unfortunately, there is widespread ignorance amongst Australian politicians and media on this issue. You recently had the Queensland Premier tweeting (now deleted) that her government would ban swastikas.”
“Such ignorant and insensitive representation of Hindu symbols will continue so long as these people obtain their information from elites who have no understanding of our culture or sensitivities. Australian decision-makers need to take a close and hard look at who they rely on for advice on Hindu issues; and who they invite on committees that advise them. This would never have happened if they had spoken to a single ordinary Hindu,” he added.
Victoria state in Australia introduces bill to ban Nazi symbols but exempts Swastika
In a similar legislation introduced earlier this month, the state of Victoria in Australia is also planning to ban hate symbols including the Nazi hooked cross. However, the bill recognised the difference between the Nazi Hakenkreuz and the religious symbol Swastika from the beginning and said it will be allowed. The legislation says that it will come into effect one year later to allow for a community education campaign to raise awareness of the origins of the religious and cultural swastika, its importance to the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain communities and its distinction from the Nazi symbol.
California proposed an amendment to differentiate between peaceful Hindu Swastika and Nazi Hakenkreuz
On May 23, California Legislative Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan read Assembly Bill 2282 for the second time with specific amendments that would differentiate between peaceful Hindu Swastika and Nazi Hakenkreuz. Once the bill is passed by the Assembly, it would decriminalise the Hindu Swastika.
Notably, Hindu American Foundation has been extensively working on educating the general public as well as the lawmakers about the difference between the Nazi Hakenkreuz (hooked cross) and the Hindu holy symbol Swastika. In a tweet, the organisation wrote, “California Legislative Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan responds to education efforts of Hindu American Foundation and California Dharma communities to amend #AB2282 & decriminalise the Hindu Swastika!”
Canadian MP called for differentiating Nazi Hakenkreuz and the Hindu symbol
On March 1, Chandra Arya, an Indian origin member of the Canadian Parliament, issued a speech calling upon the members of the house and all Canadians to distinguish between the Hindu religious sacred symbol Swastika and the Nazi symbol Hakenkreuz.
Hindu holy symbol regularly defamed by the International and liberal media and the left intelligentsia
However, this is not the first time that international media or the Indian liberal media and the left intelligentsia have been caught blatantly exhibiting their blatant Hinduphobia and purposefully linking the holy Hindu Swastika to the Nazi symbol.
In 2018, Reuters too displayed blatant Hinduphobia by comparing Hindu Swastika to the Nazi Hakenkreuz.
In March this year, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified, news organisation India Today found an opportunity to slander Hindus while pretending to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a report describing how the letter Z has become Russia’s symbol for war, India Today said ‘it is the new swastika’ in the headline on 8th March 2022.
In the report that did not lead the reader in any certain direction except the defamation of the Hindu symbol Swastika, India Today alleged that Russia’s symbol of war is nothing but a new ‘Swastika’. Russia’s symbol of war was ‘Z’ but India Today somehow linked it with the Hindu symbol of ‘Swastika’, alleging that the ‘Z’ is a new form of ‘Swastika’.
It is worth noting that this is the same modus operandi adopted by Hindumisic propagandists who deliberately link ‘Swastika’ to Hakenkreuz, in order to imply that Hindus are like the Nazis.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, in 2019, shared an image that depicted a man running behind a ‘Swastika’ shape with a club in his hand, driving out the symbol that is considered holy in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism in India.
