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Australia: Hindus outrage at the racist attack after minced beef was found dumped in a community cricket pitch

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Hindus outrage at the racist attack after minced beef was found dumped in a community cricket pitch

The Hindu community in Australia has been concerned over a recent racist attack at the Island continent’s north-eastern suburbs, where a pile of minced beef meat was found dumped on a community cricket pitch, where the Hindus living in that area played cricket every weekend.

According to a local news report, almost 2 kg of minced beef was found dumped on the wicket on the Hargrave Reserve Pitch at Modbury Heights in Adelaide, South Australia. The incident was reported on May 7.

The targeted attack has left locals disgusted and has angered Hindu players, who consider cows as sacred.

As reported by 7News, A local resident named Jan Snider said that the attack is sickening and not acceptable. She said she has retained a very small amount of the meet as proof, in case the police comes to inquire.

Another resident Stephen Pridgeon said the act was mortifying.

Meanwhile, condemning the alleged incident of racism against the Hindus in the area, a Hindu resident Nupur Shah, who also plays cricket at that particular community pitch every weekend, was quoted by 7NEWS as saying: “I would describe it as a racist attack because we believe the cow is a motherly figure. So it’s like a holy thing for us.”

Reacting to the incident, Lucas Jones, the Tea Tree Gully Deputy Mayor, Adelaide, South Australia, said: Council strongly condemns all acts of racism and damage to public property, which are not only unacceptable but illegal. Reports suggest that instead of mulling action against the detractors, a local council said they are considering removing the community cricket pitch after the vile attack on a group of Indian players at Modbury Heights. 

The local Hindus have, however, reacted strongly to the council’s decision to rip up the pitch. They say it’s ludicrous that the council is considering removing the cricket pitch. “It’s going to cost more than $20,000… it’s going to affect a lot of community people,” Nupur Shah said, adding: “I think the police need to intervene”.

“If they found a responsible person I think a fine is an appropriate thing to be done,” said the angered resident.

Indian cricketers face racist attack in Australia

Though this incident has left the local Hindus livid, it is not the only incident where people of Indian descent have faced discrimination and racism in Australia. In January this year, an Indian fan from Australia revealed that he was denied entry into the Sydney Cricket Ground on Day 5 of the third Test between India and Australia for carrying anti-racism banners with him.

The Indian had revealed that the Indians present at the stadium and the Indian players on the ground were being continuously addressed as ‘curry munchers’ by a section of Australian fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Following the incident, Krishna Kumar had reportedly met the Venues NSW legal personnel and filed an official complaint in the matter.

For the uninitiated, this was the same Sydney Test that was marred with claims of racism as Indian players were allegedly subjected to racial abuse by a section of fans at the stadium.

Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were allegedly abused by a group of Australian supporters at the SCG on Day 3 of the third Test. Following the racial attack, India had lodged a formal complaint with the officials. On Day 4, the game had to be delayed for around ten minutes after racial jibes were once again thrown at Siraj on the boundary line.

The façade of Indian secularism: How the uncomfortable truth about realities of Sanatanis is hidden by Lutyens ecosystem

Vinayak
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The façade of Indian secularism: How the uncomfortable truth about realities of Sanatanis is hidden by Lutyens ecosystem

In Paddington, Westminster Borough in the heart of the City of London there is a street by the name of Leinster Gardens. Tall, ornate, mid-Victorian houses line one of the grandest, most opulent streets in all of England. Clean, orderly, prim and proper are a few of the adjectives that come to mind, Lutyens Delhi is one of the few locations that rival Leinster Gardens in that regard. 

However, a deception lies in the very heart of the street. The lie of Leinster Gardens, hidden in plain sight. Hardly ever noticed even by those who have inhabited the street for years. No doorknobs, no letterboxes, painted windows.

23 & 24 Leinster Gardens, the empty houses. Demolished years ago, to make way for the London Underground – vents for the old steam trains. Only the very front section of the house remains, nothing more than a façade.

A façade. 

The reason for the front end without anything in the back except for train tracks is a simple one. During the 1860s when the houses were knocked down to provide space to vent off fumes in an effort to reduce the smoke within the tunnels, a problem arose out of it.

The prim and proper Leinster Gardens turned into a sore sight, the smoke settled and congealed on the houses and the gap between the two houses showing the dirty underbelly of the city, destroying the look of the veritable paradise. Too much for the inhabitants of Leinster Gardens to bear. Hence the reason for the façade of 23 & 24 Leinster Gardens.

On the 28th of March, around 8 pm in the ancient Temple of Machhindranath atop the Malang Gad fort, Maharashtra on the auspicious day of Holi as the evening “Aarti” was taking place about fifty-sixty Muslim men forcibly entered the premises chanting “Allahu-Akbar” in hopes of disrupting the prayer ceremony, shoving around the devotees and creating ruckus in hopes of religious domination.

Reading about this incident it easy to count it as an instance of few bigots getting together and causing ruckus where there was a need for none. If the reader believes it so, this writer will not try to dissuade. The instance mentioned above nothing more than an insight to the writer’s mind as to how this particular piece came to being.

However, this piece is not written in hopes of bringing to light the various instances of Islamofascism over the Hindus but rather to address a much larger, pernicious point. Indian Secularism. 

Lawful Depredations  

The Preamble of the Constitution of India is a brief introductory statement that sets out guidelines, and present the principles of the Constitution, and indicate the source from which the document derives its authority, and meaning. The very same document proudly declares India to be a secular country and the Constitution, by the above definition, must strive for providing an environment where the goal can be achieved.

But it cannot be said that India is a secular country by the mere fact that the Preamble mentions it to be, the laws that are promulgated by the authority vested by the Constitution are what make it truly secular, in every sense of the word. Secularism, by definition, means the separation of religion and the State but this is not the kind followed in India.

Article 30 (Fundamental Right) allows for the establishment of Educational Institutions for religious and linguistic but only for minorities (meaning for everyone but the Hindus).

On the face of it appears to be benign at best, made so to ensure the minorities of the country have the constitutional protection for the continuance of their way of life. While operating under the assumption that the majority (i.e., Hindus) much larger in numbers than the others don’t need protection due to the sheer numbers professing the particular faith.

That, however, is just in theory. In practice it is a flawed concept at best, the legal blockade preventing Hindu Organisations from establishing institutions for providing religious education. Not being able to preserve their own way of life that has survived for thousands of years leading to the degeneration of the Hindu community as a whole.

Ever wonder why the Hindu youth today cannot recite, from memory, any verse of any Hindu scripture whereas the same does not hold true for Christian and Muslim youth? The above-mentioned provision of Indian Law is to blame.

Again, as mention above, it may appear to be benign. But it is not so.

Jawahar Lal Nehru, the very first Prime Minister’s idea of secularism meant providing for the Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir special privileges and complete autonomy from the rest of the country under the assumption that they will have their way of life trampled under the Hindu majority country. While at the same time not providing for any special privileges to the minority of Hindus who resided in the same state.

Compound that with Nehru’s reaction at the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple asking Dr Rajendra Prasad not to attend as he feared it would lead to Hindu revivalism.

Nehru had earlier opposed its reconstruction hammer and tongs and may well have gotten away with it had it not been for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who went ahead irrespective of Nehru’s crusade against it.

The squint-eyed vision of Nehru would rear its ugly head again in 1955 when the King of Saudi Arabia would visit the country. The foreign dignitary’s visit lasted for seventeen days and visited various cities, one of them being Varanasi. A city of extreme religious importance to the Hindus, having the epithet of the city of temples owing to the numerous places of worship that call the city home.

Lo and behold, it was too much to bear for Nehru, who got every temple covered with curtains that fell on the route of the Saudi King’s cavalcade. Moreover, he also banned Aartis offered to the deities for that day. And as if adding insult to injury, he covered all the government buildings of the Holy city of Varanasi with banners of Kalima Tayyiba, one of the Five Pillars of Islam stating that “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed(sm.) is the messenger of Allah,”.

All of this was done to just to appease the Muslim King.

On a personal level, this writer has no qualms with Kalima Tayyiba being hung in any city. However, to do so to the extent it was done in a city considered to be the holiest for another religion reeks of hatred for that particular religion. Hinduphobia.

Another legal provision that sticks in the craw of the practising Hindus is the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act (HRCE) Act, 1951 which allows for state governments to take over control of the temples and maintain complete control over them and their properties.

There are over 15 state governments which control only Hindu religious institutions, specifically temples—right from the appointment of administrators to mandatory collection of 13-18% service charge. This takes away the community’s right and resources to protect its interests. This is discriminatory as only the Hindu community suffers this kind of treatment. The actual process of taking over Hindu institutions such as temples began under Mughal Rule and continued under the British.

Post-Independence the Nehru Government brought in the HRCE in 1951 for continuing the policy of policing the Hindu institutions. On the contrary no such laws were promulgated to put control of any other religious demography. Moreover, this is not the only discriminatory and draconian practice, Hindu religious institutions also happen to be the only religious bodies that pay tax to the state governments.

The State governments collect 23.4 per cent tax on the income of the temples including endowment administration tax (15 per cent), audit fee (2 per cent) and common good fund (2 per cent). That apart, money is also taken away from the temples for the Archaka Welfare Fund and other purposes. This is in direct contravention of the Article 27(another Fundamental Right) which states that no person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.

Not only is this against what the Constitution decrees to be inviolable but is also a call-back to the draconian practices of the Mughals- The payment of taxes for practising and propagating the Hindu Faith. The Hindu Community for a long time has been paying a modern-day variant of the Jazia and seem to be none the wiser for it.

Explaining the legal aspect of the issue J Sai Deepak, noted Supreme Court Lawyer said: “Trust is a legal entity. The gold or wealth offered to the deity is object of worship and reverence. In fact, even the gold monetisation scheme is a fraud as nobody has the right to surrender it to anyone under any scheme. Any scheme seeking to take over such objects of worship is in violation of Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. In any case, the Constitution says that no one has the right to touch religious autonomy.”

Asked about the gold monetisation schemes, Deepak said these are largely the product of State control of temples. “Temples are coerced by the state governments to monetise their gold against their will. The root cause of this issue is state control of temples, which is unconstitutional and discriminatory. Any scheme which does not translate to the principal being returned in gold is a loss to the community,” he said.

This is in adverse comparison to the Muslims in India. In the aftermath of the violence of the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, in order to appease the Muslim community simmering with anger permeating through it, the Central Government of time allowed for certain privileges to be granted to the Sunni Waqf Board.

One of the privileges granted to the religious body was to allow for them to annex any non-government land within their ambit irrespective of ownership by simply passing an internal resolution and there is no legal provision that enables for it to be challenged in any Court of Law.

The decision of the Board is final and paramount. Therefore, the Waqf board can annex even the land your house is situated upon and gain its ownership and you won’t even have a legal recourse to correct the wrong initiated upon you. This has resulted in the Sunni Waqf Board in holding the most amount of land in India behind only the Railways and the Defence Forces.

This is in stark contrast to where recently the Odisha Government has started the process of selling 35,000 acres of land registered in the name of Lord Jagannath. On one hand the religious body of one community can annex any land it so wishes and on the other, another community cannot even maintain the lands that have been gifted to the Temple Trust by devotees as a mark of their faith.

However, the depredations do not end here. The HRCE allows for appointing various IAS officers as heads of the Trust Funds in the names of State Government and in typical “Secular” fashion (there are not enough double quotes I can put around the particular word), there have been numerous instances where non-Hindus have been appointed as heads of Trust Funds for Hindu Institutions.

If anyone reading this piece tries to defend in by saying this is Secularism, this writer dares for anyone to imagine a situation where Christian Churches and Islamic Mosques are being managed by governments and being headed by Hindus.

A question that must arise in the minds of people, Why this Government control? The answer goes back to the colonial era. Using their doctrine of Divide and Conquer, the English had begun to try and reduce the unity of the country to smithereens. The Hindus at that time constituted about 83 percent of the total population, therefore it began with the Hindus. Upon realising that the Mughals despite imposing harsh taxes, cruel practices and even outright killing for practice of Hindu faith had not been able to convert as Islamic Bigots had done in places like Persia and Egypt took a much more refined approach.

Temples back then, according to author Sanjeev Sanyal, were managed by local communities. They were centres of dance and art, and at the heart of a massive decentralised trade network. Every temple had charitable endowments, including property given to temples, for the benefit of the community. The benefits included rest-houses, pathshalas, gaushalas, and institutions for the advancement of education and feeding of the poor.

For all intents and purposes, a temple was the beating heart of the community at large. For the British agenda of colonisation and conversions to succeed, the temple organisation had to be weakened. So, temples were brought under government control mainly in south India because not too many temples in the north possessed such massive property or wealth.

The British introduced The Madras Regulation VII of 1817 to do this. The Nehru administration post-Independence had an opportunity to correct the historical wrong but rather chose to further the debilitating practice of reducing the Hindu community to small discombobulated factions.

The Ecosystem

Another pernicious aspect of this spurious secularism is the Left Liberal Ecosystem which has been fostered by the Congress over the years. The Cabal has been at work, papering over the gargantuan cracks, serving faecal matter and making it appear like crème brulee. Consisting of certain media personalities, NGOs, civil rights activities, lawyers and smorgasbord of other influential personalities.

The Cabal has been put to use to slowly chip away at the roots of Hindu society. Every festival, practice and custom has been put under the scanner and used to denigrate the Sanatani way of life. Let any festival come and so begins the propaganda. Like a pack of hyenas, the Ecosystem starts spreading misinformation.

So Mahashivratri becomes a day for wasting of milk, Holi wastes water, on Janmashtami the height of the handi suddenly endangers the participants, Durga Puja is racist. Durga Puja of all festivals is racist even though the eponymous goddess has different forms with varying skin colours. Last year Rakshabandhan was harmful to animals as the rakhis as they were made from leather. To any individual who has ever celebrated the festival knows that rakhis are never made from that particular material.

To anyone who has not paid particular attention to these machinations it appears to be benign, perhaps even misguided but never malicious, which let’s be honest is almost everyone who pays little attention to the political discourse. This is what the Ecosystem thrives upon. So every time a Munawar Faruqui is arrested along with his cohorts for insulting Hindu Gods only his name is pushed up in limelight to push the agenda of Islamophobia.

Faruqui was arrested along with four others and this writer can bet most individuals won’t be able name a single one of the others. One of those, post of the crash and burn of his comedic career has been forced to work as a labourer earning less than the minimum wage.

A particular journalist even recently made a video with Faruqui on YouTube pushing the agenda of Islamophobia while making no attempt to cover the riots in Bhainsa, Telangana where Muslims were the perpetrators and the State Government had imposed Section 144, not allowing the members of the Media to cover the situation.

This is in stark contrast with reaction of the same Ecosystem when the same was done in Hathras.

Same holds true for any form of Jihad, the Ecosystem bends over backwards in trying to distance Islam, its preaching in calling for the death of all non-believer’s and the result of the same preaching when hundreds lose their lives in a terror attack. Stating that the belligerents are misguided youths bastardising the teachings of Islam, cogent position to take. But the same logic is not espoused whenever a Aklakh or Tabrez is lynched. Then it becomes a matter of Saffron Terror.

Gone is the same logic and the understanding nature of not blaming the entire community for the actions of a few. If a Muslim person is lynched, for whatever reason it maybe, the entire Hindu community is made to feel ashamed of the years of tradition that it follows. Soliloquy upon soliloquy, Op-eds upon Op-eds and campaign upon campaign of extremism, polarisation and #notinmyname are bombarded in a synchronised blitzkrieg targeted at the core of Sanatan Dharma.

Such is the efficacy of malicious Ecosystem that even the Kashmiri Hindu Genocide has been brushed under the carpet with so great an effectiveness that most born after 1990, don’t even know the date of the event. And look at even the nomenclature, 19th of January 1990 is called the date of the exodus. The closest meaning of the word being departure, a genocide is now called a departure or migration.

Bear in mind, as the exhortations by the Muslims of the Valley for the Hindus to leave the land continued between two to three months they were being done from the minarets of mosques. Calls for Ralive, Tsaliv ya Galive (Leave, Convert or die) were being blared from loudspeakers reserved for Namaz, there was an even more malevolent part to it that most don’t even know about. Leave, Convert or Die and while you’re at it leave your women behind, now for what women had to be left behind is pretty obvious for even the most optimistic.

The ontological animus aimed at the Hindus of the Valley ignored to such an extent that even women’s right activists/NGOs/ PIL lawyers who find time to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court for allowing women entry into the Sabrimala Shrine have not found a single second to spare even after thirty-one years.

After women, on the fateful day, had their breasts cut off after being gang raped, one particular one was forced to eat rice soaked in the blood of her husband’s blood who had hid in a sack to save his skin. Utter and complete silence in most cases, when in recent times it became too much to ignore spoken with subterfuge, muddying up the truth.

One top journalist even reported that the anger stemmed from the Hindus minority holding power over the Muslim majority. Her exact words- “They may have been a minority but at that time they had monopolised government jobs, plum postings and other such social benefits. In fact, the sharp economic disparity between the Pandits and the poor Muslim Majority was one of the earliest reasons for popular discontent in the State.”

Giving it a colour of a class-based struggle leading to a brutal conclusion as if some communist regime, not an Islamist one, had taken over the valley. Ask anyone to pontificate upon the Kashmir and they will most probably term it as a political issue whereas the truth remains it is, unquestionably, a religious one.

Look at more recent times, in the past one year, the Hathras rape got the most traction out of the Ecosystem. It ticked all the boxes that makes the day of the Cabal- BJP ruled state, Upper caste male upon lower caste woman violence and a cover up. The whole Ecosystem descended with a vengeance upon the issue, throwing everything to one side, Hathras for some time became the media capital of the country. Every individual owing allegiance to Ecosystem banging the drum of Brahmanical Patriarchy.

While personally, this writer, agrees with coverage of the crime with the intensity it was done especially considering the alleged cover up, it was quite clear for anyone who has followed politics and observed the actions of the Cabal the intention was solely for the purpose of hurting BJP before the Bihar Elections right around the corner. If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind over the veracity of the claim, try unearthing the coverage of the rape post the final phase of the elections. Good luck, you shall be busy for quite some time.

The coverage in sharp deviation from the coverage of another rape that took place in Rajasthan around the same time. The difference being, Rajasthan is a Congress ruled state and the crime was committed by Muslim man against a Dalit woman. Exactly the opposite of the Hathras rape. Complete radio silence on the issue.

The façade 

Much the like the façade of Leinster Gardens, Indian Secularism has been, continues to hide the ugly truth too much for the ones living in a fool’s paradise to bear. The neatly ordered world that we as Indians have been living in is too far from the reality. The neatly ordered world according to the Nehruvian idea of India is nothing more than brushing the rubbish under the carpet and pretending upon the cleanliness while ignoring the fact that someday the rubbish will overflow the bounds of the rug.

In the end I will like to end with a reference to a famous book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Towards the end after Lord Voldemort’s resurrection and Harry Potter’s narrow escape. The eponymous hero tells of the impending danger which approaches the wizarding world. Cornelius Fudge, the minister for magic simply refuses to believe the harsh truth despite overwhelming evidence.

Citing that Albus Dumbledore was simply trying to start a panic that would destabilase everything they had worked for in the thirteen years before. In the end, the obstinacy of the politician cost the whole of the wizarding world.

Such is the current scenario in India. Whenever some individual sick of this one eyed secularism points out the colossal hypocrisy of the Ecosystem, the Cabal brands the person as a right wing bigot. Post 2014 right wing bigot has been replaced with Modi bhakt/Sanghi. The actions of the Ecosystem turns mere pointing out of the hypocrisy and reporting of facts into a perception of Hindutva terror and bigotry. Hark back to the social media reactions during the unrest in Jamia and JNU, Shaheen Bagh blockade, Delhi Riots and the so-called Farmer protest and you’ll catch my drift.

In the end the only hope and exhortation, of this writer, is for the readers to be like Dumbledore and not like Fudge. Do not ignore the writing on the wall. This is after all an existential and civilisational war brought upon our shores.

As COVID-19 spreads to India’s rural areas, states gear up to tackle the surge with the help of Central govt

OpIndia Staff
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As COVID-19 spreads to India’s rural areas, states gear up to tackle the surge with the help of Central govt

After wreaking havoc in the urban area’s, the second wave of COVID-19 is fast spreading in India’s rural belts as well. This is due to several factors, including lack of awareness, a limited supply of clean water, low levels of nutrition, and most importantly, ill-equipped and insufficient public health centres and district hospitals.

To tackle the problem, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has issued several advisories to the states aimed towards the management of the deadly pathogen at the rural level and has urged the States to take actions to effectively respond to the COVID pandemic in rural areas.

Stress on preventive measures, vaccination drives

The suggestions include that all states should adopt steps like introducing an intensive communication campaign for the awareness of rural communities on the nature of Covid infection, and preventive and mitigation measures, regular cleaning and sanitisation of villages, measures to dispel false notions and beliefs about the disease and setting up of specific quarantine/isolation centres for the needy and returning migrant labourers. Moreover, the ministry suggested that the Panchayats may be designated to facilitate vaccination drives to ensure maximum coverage of the eligible population.

Besides, the states must establish inter-linkages with the medical facilities at the nearby District and Sub-Districts so that ambulances, advanced testing and treatment facilities, multi-speciality care etc. are provided to the needy without much loss of time.

The states, in turn, have responded with the innovative steps they have adopted to curb its spread and deal with the pandemic in rural areas. The initiatives have been taken by states in consultation with the Centre to stop the virus from spreading further in villages.

As in the rest of India, the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh’s rural areas have been devastating. To tackle the crisis, the authorities in Andhra Pradesh have formed a Corona Kattadi (monitoring) Committee and taken up sanitation work and door to door surveillance proactively. A resolution on ‘NO MASK NO ENTRY’ has been initiated at the Gram Panchayat (GP) level.

Arunachal Pradesh administration has issued advisories to all District Commissioners with key directions including widespread sanitization of public places, formulation of village monitoring committees, initiation of community involvement and awareness programmes.

In Assam, the state government has formulated a Village Defence Party and Migrant Database for vigilant monitoring of mobility of people. Alongside the government has earmarked funds from the 15th Finance Commission (FC) untied grants for sanitization in the villages of Assam.

Bihar government has undertaken the responsibility of distributing masks amongst all the families of the villages in the state. Also, it has ordered that the masks be procured locally, so as to promote employment. Like Assam, the Bihar administration has also earmarked funds from the 15th Finance Commission (FC) untied grants for sanitization purpose.

In Gujarat, the state government has been conducting door to door surveillance through Pulse oximeter, temperature guns and antigen test kits in all the villages and remote hamlets of the state. Gram Yoddha Samitis have been formed in villages for supporting families of Covid-19 infected patients. Moreover, to contain the surge, self-proclaimed lockdowns have been imposed by the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

Like other states, Haryana has also been proactively trying to battle the second wave of the pandemic and keep its rural belts safe from the scourge. The state administration has begun conducting periodic awareness programs in the rural areas. Moreover, Village Monitoring Committees have been formulated and specific Quartile/Isolation Centers for migrant labourers have been formed.

Himachal Pradesh also has been conducting door-to-door surveillance to ensure proper quarantine and isolation of those infected with the pathogen. Ration and medical kits are being distributed to Corona infected families. Alongside, the HP government has been carrying out sanitization drives and ensuring that the self-help groups (SHGs) are being engaged in the sewing of masks to promote employment. It has also started ‘eSanjeevani OPD’ for providing free online medical consultation to sick people.

Jharkhand, meanwhile, has converted Panchayat Bhawans, Government Schools and Community Halls into Quarantine Centres to ensure there is no shortage of beds amidst the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state. On one hand, online platforms like Google meet are being used for spreading awareness, while on the other, messaging groups have been created for all the blocks in the villages.

In Karnataka, GPTF and VTF have been revived at the Gram Panchayat level and capacity building with ANS State Institute of Rural Development, Mysuru, which are providing essentials to the vulnerable population.

In a similar manner, Kerala has also intervened against the spread of the second wave of Covid-19 into its rural pockets. The state has established structural response mechanisms for contact tracing and providing support to families under home isolation or quarantine. Furthermore, the Kerala state govt has launched Kudumbashree Community Network in Kerala, a joint programme of the Government of Kerala implemented through Community Development Societies (CDSs) of poor women, serving as the community wing of local governments. Additionally, inventorisation and preparation and management of quarantines and COVID care centres have been prioritised.

Kerala has started a transportation plan by providing ambulances in each gram panchayat to support the health system besides providing two-chambered cars and auto-rickshaws for the needy.

Madhya Pradesh government has, meanwhile, established containment zones (as per the COVID guidelines) in villages with high infections. It has formed Red, Orange and Green zones in Villages/GramPanchayats, based on the number of active COVID patients. Also, control rooms have been established at the Block level, District level and State level.

Maharashtra, which has been one of the worst affected states has initiated ‘My Family My Responsibility’ awareness campaign in the rural areas of the state. Corona Prevention Committee has been formulated and door to door surveillance, to check vitals and any medical emergencies, are being carried out.

In Nagaland, village councils have been set up which are strong links between the panchayats and the people. These councils are ensuring proper training to its members, who in turn, are helping villagers fight the COVID-19 battle.

To curb the spread, Punjab has imposed strict mobility restrictions from other states. It has formed Village Monitoring Committees (VMC) in each village. Moreover, the villages are being encouraged to organize Thikri Pehras to ensure that ‘Night Curfew’ and ‘Weekend Curfew’ orders are complied with.

In Rajasthan, the Congress lead state government has appointed the CEO of the Zila Panchayat office as the nodal officer to carry out all COVID related instructions. They are required to make a daily assessment of survey reports and medical kit distribution status reports. The state govt, along with the active association of the Medical & health department is distributing medical kits amongst villagers.

Sikkim Govt has also been undertaking periodic interactions with the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the villages. It has been conducting training sessions through web-based tools such as Youtube live. Also, the Sikkim Govt is religiously conducting the inoculation drive to restrict the transmission of COVID.

In Tripura, extensive awareness drives on observing COVID-19 protocols behaviour is being conducted and the PRIs are being encouraged ordered to utilise funds available under Finance Commission Grants. Committees at the Gram Panchayat level have been formed to deal with the virus affected cases as well as to reduce the chance of it spreading.

The Yogi Govt in Uttar Pradesh has taken proactive steps to contain the spread of the virus. Amongst several measures, the village Nigrani Samiti in all the Gram Panchayats has been formulated which focuses on promoting cleanliness. Safai Karmacharis have been hired in every village for regular cleaning, fogging, mopping.

The govt has also been providing financial assistance for the cremation of COVID related deaths.

In fact, the global health body, WHO has also lauded the Yogi Government’s initiative of house-to-house active case finding of Covid-19 in rural areas to contain Covid-19 by testing people with symptoms, disease management and contact tracing.

Uttarakhand too has formed Village Monitoring Committees (VMC) in every Gram Panchayat. Block Response Teams have been formulated at the Block Level to ensure and monitor proper deliverables. A 24×7 help desk system has also been set up by the directorate of Panchayati Raj in the state.

West Bengal is undertaking awareness programmes in panchayats with the help of NGOs and self-help groups and is enabling safe operations of local markets/haats, besides smooth distribution of food grains to the poor under PDS.

Amongst the varied steps taken by the states, the central government specially mentioned few initiatives, which according to them are the most innovative. These included:

  • Self-proclaimed lockdown is done by PRIs in Gujarat
  • Assam’s initiative of formulating a migrant database for capturing the return migrants in the panchayats both from outside the state and within the state.
  • Himachal Pradesh’s eSanjeevani OPD and free online medical consultation for sick people
  • Kudumbashree Community Network is a joint programme of the Government of Kerala implemented through Community Development Societies (CDSs) of Poor Women, serving as the community wing of Local Governments. (KERALA).
  • Kerala’s Transportation plan – provisioning of ambulances in each GP to support the health system, also two-chambered cars and auto-rickshaws for the needy, ambulances in frontline treatment centres.

India added 3,62,727 new coronavirus infections in a day taking the COVID-19 tally of cases to 2,37,03,665, while the death toll rose to 2,58,317 with 4,120 daily fatalities on May 12th, according to the Union Health Ministry data. 

Maharashtra: Congress leader’s son arrested for assaulting on duty Covid-19 nodal officer over the issue of medicines

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Congress leader’s son arrested for assaulting on duty Covid-19 nodal officer over the issue of medicines

Off late, leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi government are making it to the news more for their unruly behaviour with the frontline workers amidst the ongoing pandemic. In a shocking incident, Lawrence Gedam, son of Congress leader Anand Gedam, was seen slapping a nodal officer named Dr Abhijit Marbade on duty for allegedly not giving medicines of his choice to his home quarantined relatives in Gadhchiroli, Maharashtra. Lawrence Gedam was later arrested by police for this attack.

Gedam’s misbehaviour was caught on camera when he approached the doctor asking for medicines for his relatives. The doctor asked for symptoms upon which Gedam disclosed that the patients were not showing any symptoms.

As per a Times Now report, what transpired next is unclear but Gedam violently attacked the nodal officer, slapping him in public saying “he does not know what kind of medicine to give.” Gedam at the time of the incident was wearing no mask putting the life of a frontline warrior at risk.

The video has gone viral on social media.

According to the Assistant Police Inspector (API), Armori Police Station, Gadchiroli, police booked Lawrence Gedam for thrashing Dr Abhijit Marbade on duty at Armori Government COVID centre over the issue of medicines, and later arrested him.

In April, Nagpur Congress corporator Bunty Shelke along with Maharashtra INC Chief Nana Patole had stormed into Nagpur’s Municipality Corporation’s office threatening and misbehaving with the employees. 

In the presence of the Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole, Shelke claimed that the workers ‘deserve to be burned down’ for their incompetence. 

In the same month, BMC Education Committee Chairman and Shiv Sena Corporator Sandhya Doshi was caught on camera creating a ruckus at a Covid-19 hospital in Mumbai suburbs.

In a video uploaded by social media users on Twitter, the corporator can be seen humiliating the hospital staff and accusing a doctor on duty for allegedly not “talking properly” to a patient in her know. The video was especially alarming as the person accompanying the Shiv Sena corporator was seen without a mask in a Covid-19 hospital facility.

Israel: Here is why the average Hindu supports them

mrityunjay
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Israel: Here is why the average Hindu supports them

I saw a rant against the overwhelming support by Hindus for Israel in their fight against the global Jihadi machinery manifested as Palestinian Hamas by a ‘woke’ on Facebook and as usual other ‘wokepanzees’ and closet Jihadis were rather excited seeing another article declaring Hindus as a person worth getting killed on the comment section. I mean what else you want to achieve by declaring the average Hindu as bad as a Nazi.

Usually, I don’t form or express any opinion on violence in other countries unless it directly or indirectly impacts India or Indians. I remember one of the guys at my first job who was a good friend, used to post and comment on anti-Israel posts and articles. I was not exactly aware why an Indian Muslim would hate Israel when that country had stood for India through thick and thin, despite the overwhelming Indian policy of naming and shaming them in international forums under the pressure of Muslims of our country.

It took me few more years to connect the dots. Indian Muslims’ empathy, sympathy is only for Ummah. They cloak their support under the garb of standing for the weak.

They won’t stand against China who is literally squeezing Mohammandanism out of Uighurs and all pole bearers of Islam simply look away. Indian Muslims won’t stand for Shias getting slaughtered in the hand of Sunnis in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their leaders are even demanding to remove the Muslim status from Ahmadiyyas in India and the irony is that the same Ahmadiyyas had asked for Jihad against Hindu Majority India and are now getting slaughtered in Pakistan and their top leadership is staying/ hiding in the UK which is Dar-ul-Harb against their home/ birthplace called Riyasat-e-Medina Pakistan.

So standing for the weak is simply a cloak to hide their vicious agenda for spreading Islam and killing/converting everyone who doesn’t subscribe to their ideology. I mean what else could explain the systematic elimination of Hindus and Sikhs from neighbouring countries ranging from Afghanistan to Bangladesh. All Indian Muslims cheered the Bangladesh genocide which was a Hindu genocide and then used that tragedy to infiltrate Bangladeshi Muslims in all border states of India where they rule the roost and there had been a massive demographic change.

Now comes the Nazi barb against Hindus, this is even more ironic. Do you know the whole Muslim world, including the Grand Mufti of Palestine had felicitated Hitler and praised him for killing Jews? So much grandstanding for standing for the weak. So the Muslim world was and is Nazi in ideology and support and they send these barbs against Hindus for whom they carry the same hatred as most of them carry for Jews.

Now comes the reasons for support for Israel by an average Hindu of India. I say, why shouldn’t we support them. Just because few Hindus supported (Though history says something else) Mughals in facilitating the Hindu genocide (Which the same Muslims will deny), we don’t lose the right to oppose and stand against the Islamic Jihad.

Israel has no history of animosity against Bharat and her citizens. Israel has stood during India in thick and thin. Israel supports and allows a multi-faith rich democracy like the Hindus of India. What is there to hate? And they have the guts to reject the ideology of 30% of its citizenry who want to support Ummah at the cost of the existence of their nation. Do we not realise how important that is? Given that India is bearing the brunt of Islamism and paying the price for being soft against Jihad by Pakistani and their Indian proxies out of fear of angering the intolerant minority, who don’t think a bit before burning the whole city for an incident in far off places having no Indian role or support.

Rohingyas were responsible for genocide against Hindus living in their areas of influence in Rakhine but no Indian Muslim would stand for them. So much for their empathy that no Islamic country wants to take their coreligionist brother Rohingyas but Indian Muslims and communist cabal wants them to be given refuge and citizenship of India but will riot against CAA because their heart bleeds only for Ummah.

So next time anyone wants to label you or me a Nazi, shown them history. Show them that they haven’t left any ‘weak’ one alive in their areas of influence. Show them their Ummah is globally worst in all aspects of Human rights against infidels. Those who are left (Like Israeli Jews or Indian Hindus ) are the real Davids and we Hindus are cheering for them as we see them as a hope against global Ummah which in any case has more than 50 countries to call home.

Rihanna gets cancelled by Islamists for saying that Israeli and Palestinian lives are equal

OpIndia Staff
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Rihanna gets cancelled by Islamists for saying that Israeli and Palestinian lives are equal

Popstar and part-time social commentator Rihanna found herself in hot water today after she posted a message on her Instagram condemning the loss of life of both Palestinians and Israelis in the recent clashes between the two sides. Islamist social media users took to Twitter in order to show their displeasure regarding the message, which they perceived to be anti-Palestinian because it took into account the loss of Israeli lives as well as Palestinian lives. They accused the famous singer of “both-siding” the issue, i.e. accusing both Palestinians and Israelis of the conflict, when, according to them, only Israel is the aggressive party.

“My heart is breaking with the violence I’m seeing displayed between Israel and Palestine! I can’t bear to see it!” wrote Rihanna, in a seemingly non-controversial message.

However, Islamists were quick to strike against the seemingly peaceful message. “Rihanna is giving such “all lives matter-energy. “I’m disappointed. It’s not a conflict!! It’s one-sided”, wrote a Twitter user. This sentiment was popular online, amassing over 1,400 retweets and 7,200 likes on Twitter.

Another tweet took issue with the fact that Rihanna added the word “innocent” with Israeli, somehow implying that innocent Israeli civilians cannot be victims of Palestinian violence. This tweet was then quote tweeted by a Palestinian activist with #ShiekhJarrah in their name. She then goes on to dutifully lecture Rihanna, taking issue with the “false equivalency” of Israeli and Palestinian lives.

One social media user refused to buy any upcoming Rihanna albums, telling the singer to keep her album to herself.

Rihanna has commented on the Israel-Palestine issue before, famously tweeting “#Free Palestine” in 2014 before eventually deleting it after backlash. Her fans did not forget to remind Rihanna of this fact.

One Twitter user did not pass up the opportunity to tell Rihanna how disappointed she was.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

The conflict between Israel and Palestine escalated when Palestinian terror unit Hamas fired hundreds of rockets at Jerusalem and central Israel, and the Israeli Defense Forces responded back in kind. The main reason behind the current conflict is the Sheikh Jarrah property dispute, a dispute which can lead to the evictions of around 300 Palestinians from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood.

COVID-19 surge in rural Punjab: Many test positive among villagers returning from Delhi border protest sites, says report

OpIndia Staff
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COVID-19 surge in rural Punjab: Many test positive among villagers returning from Delhi border protest sites, says report

With the anti-Farm law protests losing their steam and farmers returning home, the number of new Covid-19 infections are on a surge in the villages of Punjab. 

As per a ground report by Dainik Jagran, the farmers who are returning from the Delhi border post registering their protest against the Farm laws are acting as the new super-spreaders in Punjab. 

The Jagran report says that their representatives went to 19 villages across 7 districts in Punjab where there is a sudden surge in Covid cases. It was found that it was the areas where a large number of people had returned from participating in the farmer protests. The farmers had lodged themselves in makeshift tents with no proper hygiene or sanitation at the protest sites. 

It is now being reported that most new cases of coronavirus are emerging from these districts. The report also suggests that people are not willing to disclose their participation in these protests. As many as 900 farmers had traveled from the Tarn Taran district of Punjab to participate in the protest.

Seven out of more than 20 who have tested positive in the Manakpur village had joined the protest at the Tikri border and ten out of the 40 who tested positive in Alamwala village were present at the protest site.

The situation in the villages of Punjab continues to remain worrisome as it is suspected that many more farmers sitting at the borders are said to be infected with the Covid-19 virus. 

Here’s some more data on farmers who had participated in the protests testing positive upon return, in Tarn Taran district:

  • Out of the 150 who assimilated at the protest site from Bhikiwind village, 22 have tested positive
  • Out of the 165 who traveled from Kulla village, 14 have tested positive
  • Another eight villages have reported 117 new positive cases after more than 250 participated in the protest
  • Another 250 farmers had participated from Tappa and Mahalkala villages of Punjab. Both villages recorded 156 active Covid-19 cases and 35 deaths
  • As many as 31 people have died in Dhanaula which has 140 active cases, however, the villagers refused to reveal how many had participated in the protest

The Jagran report further states that the families of the patients are deliberately avoiding Covid testing or revealing the actual reason for death. This is because the government of Punjab has announced a compensation of 5 lakhs to the kin of the farmers who die because of the ongoing protest. In such a case if the family reports Covid as the cause of death, they will not be eligible for the compensation.

We had reported earlier how rural Punjab is reporting a surge in deaths due to corona hinting at the connection to the ongoing protests. Reports suggest that 58% of the deaths reported in Punjab are from Rural areas.

According to government officials, a large number of deaths in the rural areas are because of the fact that the people are not going to the hospital and getting self-treated at homes. In an official communication sent to the medical officers, the Punjab government has asked them to prepare a list of the elderly and comorbid patients in their area and call them to take feedback on their health.

The order said, “Report any breach of home isolation or refusal to get referred to higher facilities as soon as possible to the SMOs and keep contacts of SHOs of the police stations concerned to involve them for the hospitalization.”

However, the rate of testing and hospitalization in rural Punjab continues to remain low. 

Narcissism at its worse: After doubts were raised on the help being provided by Sonu Sood, actor gets called out for sharing cringe self-laudatory posts

OpIndia Staff
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Narcissism at its worse: After doubts were raised on the help being provided by Sonu Sood, actor gets called out for sharing cringe self-laudatory posts

One can love him or hate him, but definitely cannot ignore him especially after the ‘in your face’ self-appreciation posts. Yes, we are talking about the self-acclaimed ‘Messiah’ Sonu Sood who is supposedly doing a commendable service for people in crisis.

Otherwise a Bollywood actor, Sonu Sood turned to philanthropy last year after the nation was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. From what started as sending migrants back home during the lockdown, Sood allegedly has come a long way to arranging oxygen and Covid-19 medicines within minutes anywhere in the country and ordering oxygen plants from France for India. 

However, more than his work, his narcissism has caught the attention of the nation. The netizens reacted strongly to Sood’s latest social media shares where he has been portrayed as Lord Hanuman in one and Bharat Mata bowing down to him for his service in the other.

Sonu Sood’s Facebook post
Sonu Sood’s Facebook post

A Twitter user by the name coolfunnytshirt took a sarcastic jibe at the actor turned Messiah.

In reply to this, a user commented, “Sonu couldn’t reach everywhere so he created God.”

Another user highlighted that the actor might soon declare himself as the only true God.

A popular handle on Twitter Charu Pragya reminded the actor that one needs to be humble while doing seva.

Sharing some sound advice and thanking the actor for his help, a user wrote, “Oh hell no ! Dear @SonuSood ji, I know you’ve done a lot for people and thanks for that. But Bharat Maa does not fold hand in front of anyone. Least of all us mortals. Kindly remove this. Again, thanks for helping people in need. May God bless you.”

Taking a funny take on the actor’s self-obsession, another Twitter user sharing a comical representation image wrote, “Sir @SonuSood shifting earth to oxygen concentrators he endorses.”

All the self-praise continues even after the netizens slammed the actor for alleged false claims of arranging beds, plasma and oxygen for Covid patients.  

A controversy broke out after the actor was accused of taking credit for arranging plasma for a COVID patient when he had not done so. In another case, Sonu Sood had claimed to have arranged a hospital bed for a patient who had already succumbed to Coronavirus infection

Sonu Sood was again called out after a video of him being approached at the airport for a Covid emergency went viral. Netizens were left puzzled as to why would anyone in need of critical medical supply wander at an airport for help.

Questions are now being raised on his claims of procuring oxygen plants from a foreign country. 

Amidst terrorist attacks on Israel, Khalistan supporters mobilise for Palestine: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst terrorist attacks on Israel, Khalistan supporters mobilise for Palestine: Read details

Israel has been facing severe terrorist attacks for the last few days. Support has been pouring in for the Jewish nation surrounded by Arab countries from all corners of the world. While most Indians are actively trending the #ISupportIsrael hashtag on social media platforms, there are many trying to portray Israel as the aggressor, Khalistani supporters included, extending their support to Palestine.

National Sikh Youth Federation, a UK based prominent Khalistani organisation, wrote that they support Palestine’s struggle to resist colonial occupation and dispossession. They said, “From Khalistan to Palestine, we stand with the liberation struggles of sovereign peoples resisting colonial occupation and dispossession. Recognise that our struggles and our liberation are interconnected, think about our history and where we stood and where we stand today.”

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, UK Labour MP, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and said, “We cannot stand by in silence, in the face of forced evictions and the violent atrocities in occupied Palestine.” In his letter, he asked the PM to inform the house about the actions the UK government is taking in response to “the illegal annexation of this Palestinian land, as outlined by the recent Human Rights Watch report”. Not even once he mentioned the atrocities Israel has been facing in the hands of Hamas terrorists for the last few days.

Ravi Singh, the founder of Khalsa Aid, has been actively supporting Palestine for a long time. In a recent tweet, he published a photograph of himself holding a placard that said, “Please stop killing children in wars created by grown men” and wrote in the tweet, “#Palestine #Gazza”, directing the message to Israel portraying them as the suppressors and Palestine as the oppressed ones.

Tweets dating back to 2014, the year he joined Twitter, can be seen in support of Palestine.

However, all the tweets he had put up where he mentioned Israel were only to condemn the Jew nation directly or indirectly. It has to be noted that Ravi is an open supporter of Khalistan and have spoken several times in favour of Bhindranwale on social media.

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, Canada, also came in support of Palestine and urged Canadian PM Justin to stand against Israel. He said, “The threatened evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah of East Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan – or any other day – is deeply troubling. Illegal occupation, demolitions, and forced evictions must end. PM Trudeau must take a stand and uphold International law.”

This is not the first time Khalistan supporters posing as Sikhs have come out to support Palestine.

Some photographs of old protests against Israel from 2014 have been making rounds on social media. One of the photographs was first shared by a UK-based Punjabi singer Maz Bonafide in 2014.

He had written, “United all over the world.”

Islamists praise Hitler while cursing Israel, but did you know that Hitler wished he were a Muslim too?

T Waraich
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Islamists praise Hitler while cursing Israel, but did you know that Hitler wished he were a Muslim too?

In wake of the recent flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, many people, including celebrities, are indulging bigotry and hate online directed towards the Jewish people. On Wednesday, an anti-Semitic speech was on full display, with Pakistani actress Veena Malik misquoting Adolf Hitler himself, glorifying the Holocaust which killed six million Jews.

In a tweet, the reality show turned Twitter troll misattributed a quote to Adolf Hitler and wrote, ‘I would have killed all the Jews of the world… but I kept some to show the world why I killed them.”

The same fake Hitler quote has been used by many Palestine supporters online in order to justify their anti-Semitic bigotry. In reality, there is no evidence or documentation that back the claim that Hitler said those words.

A mere perusal of online chatter reveals the anti-Jew rhetoric of Palestine supporters, with many of them directly justifying Hitler’s repulsive policies towards the Jewish people. Here are just a few examples.

It’s pretty clear that these particular Palestine supporters have reduced the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a Jew vs. Muslim conflict, therefore they have no problem in justifying Hitler’s atrocities. They approach the issue with bigotry towards Jewish people and that is why they have no issue in becoming Hitler-lovers, thus supporting the holocaust, which saw around 6 million Jews around the world perish under Hitler’s rule. However, Hitler’s own views on Islam are well-documented and very interesting, to say the least.

Hitler’s views on Islam

According to the memoirs of Nazi Minister of War Production Albert Speer, Hitler had high praise for Islam, wishing that it was the religion of the Germanic people. “The Mohammedan religion would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?” Hitler is quoted as saying.

According to Speer, Hitler wished that the Umayyad Caliphate had won the Battle of Tours against the Franks in 732. This particular battle is credited with stopping the influx of Islam further into Europe and saving Christianity in Europe.

“Had Charles Martel not been victorious at Poitiers — already, you see, the world had fallen into the hands of the Jews, so gutless a thing was Christianity! — then we should in all probability have been converted to Mohammedanism, that cult which glorifies heroism and which opens the seventh Heaven to the bold warrior alone. Then the Germanic races would have conquered the world. Christianity alone prevented them from doing so.” Hitler went on to say.

According to Speer, Hitler was convinced that had Islam taken root in central Europe at this time, the Germanic people would have become the “heirs of that religion” with Islam being “perfectly suited to the Germanic temperament”. Hitler said that while the Arabs, on account of their “racial inferiority”, would have been unable to handle the harsh climate and conditions of the region, and that instead the Islamized Germans would have “stood at the head of this Mohammedan Empire”. A “religion that believed in spreading the faith by the sword and in subjugating all nations to that faith”.

As per the book “Islam and Nazi Germany’s War” written by David Motadel, Muslims fought for both the Allies and the Axis in World War II. However, only the Nazis and the Islamists had a “spiritual romance” sharing mutual hatred of the Jews, the Bolsheviks, and liberal democracy.

“Made by Jews, led by Jews, therewith Bolshevism is the natural enemy of Islam”, wrote Mahomad Sabry, a Berlin-based propagandist for the Muslim Brotherhood in his book “Islam, Judaism, and Bolshevism”, a book which was recommended by the Nazi Reich to journalists.

In November 1944, Heinrich Himmler, a top-ranking Nazi and an architect of the Holocaust along with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini created the first school for military imams to serve “Muslimgermanics” at Dresden. This school was run by the Schutzstaffel (SS), a Nazi paramilitary organization in order to cater to Muslimgermanics who were the first non-Germanic volunteers for the SS.

Notwithstanding Hitler’s apparent admiration for Islam and Prophet Muhammad, and his willingness to work with Arab political leaders, he viewed Arabic people as racial and social inferiors. Therefore, it is very ironic that some of the same people who Hitler considered inferior, are now praising him and whitewashing his atrocities, in order to push their bigoted anti-Semitic agenda.

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