Supreme Court Says It Cannot Stop Demolition Of Muslim Houses In Uttar Pradesh
In a shocking blow to the Muslim community, the Supreme Court has bent the knee to the Hindu supremacist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh state by declaring that the Court “can’t stay demolitions” of Muslim-owned homes, but can only “say [to carry out demolitions] in accordance in law.”
The Court is currently hearing a petition filed by the Muslim scholarly body Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind, which demanded that Uttar Pradesh authorities stop bulldozing the homes of Muslims who protested against hateful comments about Prophet Muhammad made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who has since been suspended from the party.
While the Court stated that no community should be targeted in demolition drives, the Uttar Pradesh government has claimed that no laws were broken. The case remains ongoing.
The use of bulldozers to target Muslim homes and businesses has become a nationwide issue, beginning in April, when Muslims who defended themselves against armed Hindu supremacist mobs in BJP-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and New Delhi had their properties razed to the ground. Opposition leaders have also opposed the demolitions, including an instance when Communist Party member Brinda Karat fearlessly stood in front of a bulldozer to block its path in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area.
Most recently, Hindu supremacist authorities in Uttar Pradesh state demolished the home of Muslim activist Afreen Fatima, sparking widespread outrage and international condemnation. These developments make the Supreme Court’s response critical to the safety and protection of Muslims across India.
TV News Broadcasters’ Own Watchdog Orders Stations To Immediately Remove False Reports On Jailed Human Rights Defender Umar Khalid
The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), a private watchdog association, directed news channels Zee News, Zee Hindustan, India TV, Aaj Tak, and News18 to immediately remove news broadcasts that contain misleading information regarding Muslim activist Umar Khalid, who is currently battling false charges of inciting violence in Delhi in 2020.
In a statement, the NBDSA said that while the media has the freedom to report on any subject matter concerning public interest, it is “not permissible” to treat the police report against Khalid as “gospel truth” before his trial has concluded.
“Taglines and tickers such as ‘Umar Khalid is the Mastermind of Delhi riots’, ‘Umar Khalid plotted the Delhi riots’, ‘He burnt Delhi, he is not a comrade, he is a rioter’… gives an impression that the said accused has already been declared guilty,” the NBDSA pointed out.
Umar Khalid has been a prisoner of conscience since his arrest in 2020, after he emerged as one of the leaders of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in 2019. After Hindu supremacist BJP leaders and their supporters incited anti-Muslim violence in Delhi, Khalid was scapegoated as the “mastermind” behind the riots.
Twitter Trends In Support Of Muslim Journalist; Biased High Court Refuses To End False Police Case Against Him
The Uttar Pradesh High Court dismissed a plea by Alt News co-founder and journalist Mohammad Zubair to quash a hate speech complaint lodged against him by a Hindu extremist group leader.
The police report was filed after Zubair named Hindu supremacist leaders as “hate mongers,” referring to Bajrang Muni Udasin, who threatened to drag Muslim women out of their homes and rape them in public; Yati Narsinghanand, who called upon Hindus to wage war against Muslims; and Swami Anand Swarup, who urged Hindus to boycott and “pick up swords and guns” against Muslims.
Ludicrously, the Court claimed that there “appears to be sufficient ground for investigation” against Zubair, despite the fact that Narsinghanand has already been arrested in a hate speech case before.
After Zubair faced a new bout of Hindu extremist harassment following his condemnation of Nupur Sharma’s hate speech, the hashtag #IStandWithZubair trended on Twitter in support of the Muslim journalist.
“Solidarity with [Zubair] – the fascist troll swarms are after you because you speak the truth, always,” tweeted Kavita Krishnan, Secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA).
“We are blessed as people of India that we have [Zubair]. In this time of fake news, lies and hatred. He tirelessly fights for truth and justice,” tweeted Muslim poet and activist Aamir Aziz.
