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Watch: Foreign students offering Taraweeh attacked in Gujarat University Hostel

Foreign students, who were offering Taraweeh – Special Night Prayers performed during Ramadan, in Gujarat University Hostel were attacked allegedly by Hindutva extremists Saturday March 16, 2024. Read More

Sunday March 17, 2024 6:15 PM, ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

[Gujarat University Campus (File photo)]

Ahmedabad: Foreign students, who were offering Taraweeh – Special Night Prayers performed during Ramadan, in Gujarat University Hostel were attacked allegedly by Hindutva extremists Saturday March 16, 2024.

The students from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and some African countries said they gathered in the hostel to perform Taraweeh Namaz as there is no mosque on the campus. It was then that the hostel was stormed by the Hindutva extermists.

The students also alleged that after the incident the police came in but did not take any action and let them go away.

“Police let them go. Police let them go! They are going. They are running away! They broke everything. They are running away. The police aren't arresting them”, a student is heard saying in a video shared on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

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In this video, A goon in saffron shawl can be seen abusing International Students of Gujarat University while chanting religious slogans. https://t.co/ziD4AiwC3m pic.twitter.com/Oc2tZV901U

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) March 16, 2024

At least six students - one each from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Turkmenistan and two from African countries, have been injured in the incident.

Talking to Gujarat First, one of the students said they have been offering Namaz in the hostel for the past few years after getting permission from the Gujarat University officials.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik talking to reporters confirmed the incident. He said there are around 300 International students in the university. Around 75 of them are staying in A Block of the Hostel.

“Yesterday at around 10:30 PM, 20 to 25 people stormed the hostel and objected to the students offering Namaz. They asked them not to offer Namaz on the campus. This led to a heated argument between them. Later they pelted stones on the hostel room”, he said.

VHP takes responsibility of the attack

In a video posted on social media platform X, VHP leader, Dharmendra Bhavani, said the attackers were from the right wing outfit and justified the attack on the international students.

He said offering namaz at the hostel and writing in Urdu hurt sentiments of Hindus. "Our cadre went to the University Campus to teach them a lesson", he said.

Meanwhile, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi spoke to Gujarat's top police officers and directed them to arrest the accused as soon as possible and ensure a fair probe, according to NDTV.

Following the minister's order, the police registered an FIR and are investigating the incident.

The attacks on the Muslim students offering Namaz in Gujarat University Hostel comes over a week after a Police Officer kicked Muslims busy in Friday prayers by a roadside of the packed mosque in Delhi.

Islamophobic attacks and hate crimes against Muslims are on the rise in India ever since the Modi government came to power in 2014. The right wing government however ignores and refuses to acknowledge these attacks as serious.

The latest attack comes a day after India abstained from voting on a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which called for a united action against Islamophobia.

The resolution was ultimately passed with an overwhelming support of 115 members, 44 abstentions and none voting against it.

 

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