Mahashivratri is one of the most important religious festival dedicated to the Lord Shiva for Hindus throughout the world, while it also is observed by many “non-Hindus”. This year, Mahashivratri was observed on February 18, while unfortunately this important festival is seeing attacks by Muslim mobs for the past few years, where Muslims attacks, disrupt, and commit violence against Hindus and venues of this celebration.
Giving details of Muslim attacks during the Mahashivratri festival, Ashlyn Davis in an article titled ‘Muslims all over the country attack Hindus during Mahashivratri’ wrote in the Jihad Watch:
One of the first instances was reported from Palamu Jharkhand on February 15. A group of Muslims viciously attacked the Hindus while they were preparing for the upcoming Shivaratri celebrations. The main objection of the attackers was regarding a decorative gate that had been installed around 120 meters from the Jama mosque. Eyewitnesses recount that one night before the commotion, some Hindus constructed a temporary decorative gate for the upcoming festival at that spot. Some members of the Muslim community in the area didn’t agree with this, and raised objections. They demanded that the gate be moved elsewhere.
The local temple committee then decided to discuss the issue peacefully with the Muslims the following morning. But the Muslims refused to sit for an amicable discussion, and resorted to violence. They attacked one of the temple committee members, and this disruption spiraled into a clash that left dozens injured, including police personnel. Reportedly, the nearby mosque was used as a base for throwing heavy stones upon the locals. This is ironic, because according to local reports, the Hindus had extended generous contributions to the mosque’s construction.
The Hindus are used to being at the receiving end and know that no amount of good will that they display to some Muslims will ever be reciprocated. But in the secular setup, it’s not only the Muslims, but also the police and administration that victimized the majority community. Hence the police also unleashed their batons on the Hindus.
Several houses and vehicles parked in the area were torched during the uproar. A local leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party, Laal Suraj, also a resident of Kondhwa, confirmed that the “members of the Hindu community were only conveying that if the procession was to pass through this route, then how could the archway be erected at a different location?” He also emphasized that a similar gate was installed last month for a different occasion held in the area, and the local Muslims raised no objection. “I have no idea why they are raising objections before the Maha Shivaratri festival”, added Laal Suraj.
Apart from the Palamu incidents, an instance of violence was also reported from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Muslims attacked a Shivratri procession that the Hindus had begun on the 18th. These Muslims stopped the religious procession and demanded that the organizers stop playing sacred music. When the Hindus refused to obey their orders, the Muslims started abusing them and hurled stones at the procession. The stone-throwing injured several Hindu devotees. It must be noted in this connection that Muslims play their call to prayer five times a day, every single day of the year, through blaring loudspeakers installed at their mosques in every city, town, and village of the country. Then why do they display such intolerance toward the Hindus who play religious music only during festivals? One cannot ask such questions…
