The Facts
On Tuesday, a deputy imam — identified as Maulana Saad — was killed during an attack on a mosque in a suburb of India's New Delhi by a group of Hindus, according to the police.
Saad was the deputy Imam of the Anjuman Jama Masjid in Gurugram, having joined the mosque six months prior. Nitish Aggarwal, deputy commissioner of police in Gurugram, stated that a group of 45-50 "resorted to firing and arson" at the site in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Spin
Narrative A
Although PM Narendra Modi stresses the importance of terrorism internationally, the same cannot be said for his domestic agenda. As the base of his government continues to grow further to the right, Indian Muslims continue to live further in fear. Open calls for the extermination of Muslims are simply ignored by Indian ministers and leaders of the ruling establishment, and the terrorism targeting Indian Muslims carries on unchecked.
Narrative B
While the media has vilified the actions of a group of Hindus in Nuh, it must not be forgotten that the incident was instigated by an Islamist attack against a Hindu religious procession. Islamists meticulously planned the assault and later spread fake news online to deflect the blame. The media continues to both create confusion and shield the people who are really accountable for the bloodshed.
Narrative C
Since the partition of India and Pakistan, those Muslims and Hindus have been at odds with one another, and such tension has only been exacerbated by the modern obsession with ideologies focused on race, religion, ethnicity, and nationality. Indian Muslims and Hindus must work toward coexistence, compassion, and love — or brutal communal violence will only continue.
