After the spate of inter-communal violence in Leicester, various media outlets and politicians have sought to weigh in on the matter. Some have accused prominent Muslims including the debater and public speaker, Mohammed Hijab, and local Leicester activist and charity worker, Majid Freeman, of being “Islamists” and “instigators” of the serious disorder in the UK’s 13th largest city. However, after the smoke has cleared, it is evident that the likes of Freeman and Hijab have consistently had the same motives and objectives in addressing the mayhem, firsthand – to restore peace among the Muslim and Hindu communities while raising awareness of the fascist Hindutva ideology that is the catalyst behind the disorder. In fact, Freeman was praised for his heroic actions after a Hindu man was caught up in the violence on September 17. [1] [2]
Majid Freeman is a respected aid worker who was a close personal friend of the late Alan Henning – who was brutally beheaded by ISIS in 2014. Freeman has been thanked by 32-year-old Ram Keshwara, after he stopped a mob that was set upon causing him harm while he sat in his car. Keshwara said in comments reported by Sky News,
“He saved my life. Because of that, I’m still here.” [2]
In expressing his fears when going out in public, Mr Keshwara has said, “Right now still I don’t feel safe.” He is justifiably afraid that people are continuing to falsely label him as a supporter of the fascist Hindu paramilitary organisation, the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). Keshwara added in remarks, “I might get attacked by people because some people don’t know I’m innocent.” [2]
Social media electrified dangerous Leicester atmosphere
With the febrile mood appearing to calm in recent days, there is still the issue of a shocking BBC study finding that around half of all Twitter posts surrounding the Leicester disorder originated from India. BBC reporter Abdirahim Saeed has said,
“Over 50% of a 200K sample of tweets originated from accts [accounts] geolocated in India.” [3]
Saeed’s analysis also revealed in a particularly telling way, that the top Twitter account that was posting on the Leicester disorder had only been set up in September. What is more is that the account only had one follower and was following just one account. [3]
Having witnessed a huge amount of threatening online behaviour aimed at journalists as well as Muslims who have been trying their level best to tackle the Leicester disorder, it is fair to suggest that unknown actors are in play, trying to shape and distort reality. Indeed, the MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman, has led claims that “Islamist extremists” were to blame for the Leicester disorder.
British MP in the pocket of fascist Hindutva-oriented organisations?
Blackman – who is a member of the Conservative party and also holds the prestigious position of Executive Secretary to the 1922 Committee (the Conservative parliamentary party’s backbench working group) – tried to spin the Leicester mayhem as being solely perpetrated against Hindus in the community. In a letter to the Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Blackman said, there have been “appalling attacks on Hindus in Leicester, Birmingham and elsewhere in the UK” – completely neglecting to make any mention of Muslims being affected by the chaos in Leicester. [4]
As a solitary observation, Blackman’s choice to make zero mention of Muslims being victims of the violence in Leicester could be dismissed as accidental. However, according to the Parliamentary Register of Members’ Interests and analysis research carried out by the Byline Times, Blackman has a track record of receiving political donations from far-right nationalist Hindu organisations, including trips to India funded by pro-RSS groups. [4]
To list just a few damning examples of Blackman’s clear bias in favour of Hindutva ideology, he…
- Received £1,800 in travel funding in February 2019 for an India trip. This money was provided by the pro-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the ruling party in India) International Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow;
- Received funds in 2018 totalling £11,300 from the Indian office of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre. With these funds, Blackman visited the Gujarati city of Ahmedabad and Delhi, in order to “meet with political figures in India”;
- Received funds in 2016 that were partially from the pro-RSS The Art of Living Foundation, in order to travel to India. The Foundation’s UK and Bangalore branches provided part of the £1,100 funding for his plane fare, meals, and for accommodation in Delhi. [4]
With regards to the Leicester disorder, there is such a tidal wave of misinformation and fake news that is being spread by trolls in addition to politicians who find themselves in the pockets of Hindutva-aligned movements, that we need to spread the truth even further when we find it.
It is reported that Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ash’ath said,
“I asked al-Fudayl ibn ʿAyyāḍ (raḥimahu Allāh) about patience (al-Sabr) in the face of adversity. He said, ‘It is to not broadcast it.’ I asked him about asceticism (al-Zuhd) and he said, ‘al-Zuhd is to be content with what you have, and that is what it means to be rich.’ I asked him about prudence (al-Wara’) and he said, ‘It is to stay away from what is forbidden.’ And I asked him about humbleness (al-Tawādu’) and he said, ‘It is when you submit to the truth and comply no matter who you hear it from; even if it was from the most ignorant of people, you would be required to accept it from him.’” [5]
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] https://mohammedhijab.com/hindu-muslim-tensions-in-leicester/
[2] https://news.sky.com/story/amp/hindu-man-thanks-muslim-activist-who-stepped-in-to-save-him-during-night-of-leicester-violence-12706552
[3] https://hindutvawatch.org/50-tweets-on-leicester-riots-were-from-india-finds-bbc-scribe-siasat/
[4] https://bylinetimes.com/2022/09/27/conservative-mp-blaming-islamist-extremists-for-leicester-violence-funded-by-organisations-tied-to-hindutva-militants/
[5] Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi Vol. 1 p498.
