Condemning recent hate and violence in India, peace activists Faisal Khan and Kripal Singh Mandloi launched a six-day fast from January 13, 2022. The fast that is to conclude on January 18 received the support of Haridwar’s Matra Sadan ashram Mahant Swami Shivanand Maharaj.

On the fourth day of the fast, Swami Shivanand voiced his solidarity with the event via a video message. In it, he said, “Religion is the path of peace and humanity. I and the entire ashram support this fast. We are always ready to support humanity and brotherhood as society can move forward only on this path.”

Previously, Khan also signed an open letter decrying the “Dharam Sansad” in Haridwar that took place between December 17 and December 19, 2021. As per the letter, as many as 273 citizens called the speeches and appeals to kill a community an “outrageous behaviour” in complete “violation of law and the Indian Constitution.”

On Thursday, the Khudai Khidmatgar movement revived by Khan reiterated their dissent by marking the last fast of freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi on January 13, 1948. At the time, Gandhi gave a call to restore peace; a sentiment that was reciprocated by people who gathered at Birla Bhawan and promised to refrain from participating in violence and hatred.

During the 2022 fast, Khan and Mandloi visited Raj Ghat and Mazar Maulana Abul Kalam to pay their tributes before they began their fast. Owing to Covid-restrictions, social workers, youth and students across India expressed their solidarity via online platforms.

About the organisation

Khudai Khidmatgar was a movement and organisation started by non-violent peace activist and freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. In 2011, Faisal Khan revived this movement for peace and interfaith harmony.

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Allahabad HC grants pre arrest bail to man accused of offering Namaz at temple

Allahabad HC grants Faisal Khan bail

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Gandhian peacemaker, Faisal Khan was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court on Friday, December 18. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves and Ali Qambar Zaidi appeared for the applicant Khan and Additional Government Advocate represented the State.

The single-judge bench of Justice Siddharth ruled, “Having considered the material on record, larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the dictum of Apex Court in the case of Dataram Singh Vs. State of U.P. and another, reported in (2018) 3 SCC 22 and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, let the applicant involved in the aforesaid crime be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned.”

The court also imposed conditional bail by directing Khan to not use social media till the trial ends. “Applicant will not use social media for any such purposes till the conclusion of trial”, the court said.

The court was hearing Faisal Khan’s bail application seeking his release from Mathura jail, booked under relevant Indian Penal Code sections for promoting enmity between religious groups, hurting the religious sentiments of people of a particular community and cheating at Police Station Barsana, Mathura.

His counsel argued that Faisal Khan is a renowned social activist who had revived Khudai Khidmatgar (servants of God) movement of India and has been constantly working to maintain communal harmony for the last 25 years. In this connection he also undertook a yatra to visit temples. It was submitted that he was offered prasad and lunch by the Chief Priest of the temple and he also bestowed blessings on him as clear from photographs in dispute.

He further submitted that the applicant has been falsely implicated in this case. The applicant’s counsels argued that “only on the basis of photographs which went viral, he cannot be said to have any intention to disturb the communal harmony of the society.”

“He did not enter into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple rather he performed Namaz outside of the temple with the permission of the priest of the temple as clear from the viral photographs. The allegation of receiving foreign funds is without basis”, argued the lawyers.

As the convener of Khudai Khitmatgar, an organisation and movement devoted to interfaith harmony and peace, Faisal Khan was concluding his four-day bicycle rally ‘Brij 84 Kosi Parikrama’ aimed at spreading the message of inter-faith unity, love and religious tolerance. On October 29, he visited the Nandbaba Temple in Mathura, spoke to other devotees and also offered Namaz in the backyard of the temple as a gesture of communal harmony. A video of the said incident was recorded and uploaded on social media.

But the FIR lodged against him alleges that he along with co-accused Chand Mohammad offered Namaz inside the temple without the consent of the mandir priest and the video was made viral. The Mathura Police also charged both of them for receiving illegal foreign funds.

Earlier, on November 24, the court of Additional District Judge-II Mahendra Nath, Mathura District court had rejected Faisal Khan’s bail plea. Thereafter, they appealed to the High Court of Allahabad.

The order may be read here: 

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On December 10, observed as International Human Rights Day, international organisations including Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) in a webinar called on the Indian government to “immediately and unconditionally release Gandhian peacemaker Faisal Khan from prison in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.” 

The organisations reminded the authorities that Faisal Khan is the National Convener of Khudai Kidmatgar (Servants of God), an organization and movement devoted to interfaith harmony and peace. This movement was launched by freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (also known as Frontier Gandhi and Badshah Khan) in 1929, and revived by Faisal Khan in 2011.  

According to Sunita Viswanath of Hindus for Human Rights the facts remains that, “Faisal Khan is a Muslim Gandhian peace activist. He was arrested because he did namaz, which means Muslim prayer, in the courtyard of a Hindu  temple. The truth is that the priest invited him to pray there, but four days later the same priest filed a police complaint against Faisal Khan and he was arrested.”

World renowned scholar and author Rajmohan Gandhi, who is also the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, appealed for the release of Faisal Khan, and also recalled the secular heritage of Khudai Kidmatgar and how  Faisal Khan revived the movement for interfaith peace and harmony.

Gandhi’s statement may be viewed here 

Gandhi also called for a unified voice, to seek justice for Indian Muslims, who continue to face greater alienation and said, “There are around 200 million Muslims living in India. Making 200 million Indians feel uncertain about safety or equal rights in their country is not the recipe for a harmonious future. Most Hindus would like their Muslim brothers and sisters to enjoy dignity and equality. I urge them to speak out and demand justice for Faisal Khan, and for all who are being denied their rights.”

It has been well over a month since Faizal Khan was arrested for allegedly offering namaz “without permission” in the compound of Nand Baba temple in Barsana on October 29. An FIR was registered on November 1 with the Barsana police station in Mathura, against Faisal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Aalok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta. The next day, Uttar Pradesh police arrested Khan from his residence in Delhi, and charged him under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. Khan was then sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Mathura court. Khan had tested positive for Covid-19 and was sent to institutional quarantine. He remains behind bars.

Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, Founder of Human Rights Law Network, Colin Gonsalves, who is Faisal Khan’s lawyer, said, “Even though evidence in the form of videos, and photographs were made available to the court proving that Faisal Khan asked to go outside to offer namaz, and that it was the temple priest who instead asked him to pray on the temple premises, the judge refused to view the video and later wrote in his ruling that no evidence was offered by defense.” 

Advocate Gonsalves said that Khan’s background “inspiring work, and the awards he has won, establish his credibility and the improbability that he would do anything to encourage a division between communities.” He added that Khan visited “mandir after mandir speaking beautifully to the Pujaries, who received him warmly…The Court says that there was no video or photographs showing him reciting couplets [from Ram Charita Manas]…but the court did not bother to look at all the links we had provided. The video recording provided by Anand Patwardhan is so spectacular that it is clear that there was no crime.” 

On the Namaz issue Gonsalves shared that the pleading is that “Khan told the temple pujari – ‘It is Namaz time and I want to go outside the Mandir and we will do our Namaz and come back for lunch.’ And the Pujari says, ‘Not necessary. We have a place at the back of the Mandir please do it there. It will save you some time’… The delay in the filing of the FIR (First Information Report) for three days shows that certain developments took place, conversations took place, certain people intervened. As a result of which a complaint which would normally be filled within 1 hour of the incident is filled 3 days later.”

According to Gonsalves, the way Faisal Khan was arrested “shows the weakness of our legal system in Uttar Pradesh and the ability of political people linked to CM Yogi of course. Naturally, to influence or pressure the complainant – the Pujari, but also to bring pressure on the Judges…The photos are very clear, the recordings are very clear, the couplets are crystal clear,” he said while he did think there was a “pretty good chance of getting Faisal out,” there was need for caution, “keep your fingers crossed. You never know, nowadays with the judiciary; but the people who’ve got all the information together have done a spectacular job in giving us information for the Court case.” 

Documentary filmmaker and human rights defender Anand Patwardhan emphasised the critical importance of global attention on human rights in India. He said India was “in a very peculiar situation, an unprecedented one,” and even in cases like Faisal Khan one could not be “completely sure that having a strong case means that we will win”. He added that international focus on such situations was  important, “the world is watching, and this is something that will make the Indians stay in some check.”  

He also raised the issue of the many others jailed for their activism, saying he was “worried about the others who are in jail, like Umar Khalid for example. On the 23rd of this month, it will be his 100th day in prison.”  Patwardhan stated that “Umar has not received the public attention that he needs to get his release. He has been victimised because he is a Muslim just as Faisal has been victimised because he is a Muslim. Umar Khalid never talked about violence. He spoke about using nonviolence to fight against the Citizenship Amendment Act.” 

He explained the ongoing “formula” that is bein used to target dissenters, “If you are a Muslim, you are a Muslim terrorist. If you are a Hindu, you are an urban naxalite. And if you are a Dalit, you are a pure naxalite, neither urban nor rural.” Patwardhan stated that these terms are  being popularised through “fake news agencies which are running the show today. It is very hard for us to counter this media assault. We do our little bit. A 5 minute film that gets seen by a few hundred or a few thousand people on the internet. But they have all the media in their hands. They control the media because they control the people who own the media.” 

Veteran social activist, Medha Patkar, spoke at the webinar while she was at the farmer protests on the Delhi border, “It is unfortunate that today we should be talking about ‘Hindus’ for human rights and ‘Muslims’ for human rights, etc. Such is the scale of human rights violations by the Indian government in every facet of our society and in every aspect of our lives.” She appealed to include all human rights defenders who are in jail for the crime of defending Indian democracy, in the call for justice.

According to the statement issued after the conference Minhaj Khan, Indian American Muslim Council, spoke of Faisal Khan’s arrest in the context of the targeting and arrests of Muslims across India, especially in Uttar Pradesh. He said, “The arrest of Faisal Khan by the Uttar Pradesh Government is a vindictive act of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, whose hatred for Muslims has long been well known. Even among the Hindu rightwing fascists belonging to the RSS parivar, Adityanath is the most vile example…Justice also demands that he spend not another night in a prison cell on these bogus charges against him. Equally important to point out now is that the blasphemy laws under which he has been accused are the laws that India should outlaw…”

Adding an international perspective Sunita Viswanath, of Hindus for Human Rights, spoke of the importance of Hindus voices of resistance against Hindutva, “Hindus for Human Rights has a special voice in calling for his release as progressive and inclusive Hindus who live by the spirit of ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ which means that all the universe is one family, and that we are one.”

Shaffaq Mohammed, Member of the European Parliament since 2019, spoke from the United Kingdom, and stressed that there was need in the world today for interfaith unity in the face of right-wing intolerance not just in India, but in Europe and the world. He said, “ Its obvious who I am from my surname that I’m a Muslim. But I want to work with Hindus for Human Rights and I want to reach across the divide.”

Amnesty International-USA’s Govind Acharya, said Khan’s arrest was a part of a pattern. He linked it to “the spate of other arrests” in India and to “the shutdown of Amnesty International-India. We in Amnesty International got a taste of this as well. On September 30, we officially heard that Amnesty International India was forced to close because of a series of actions aimed at hindering our work. We got a lot of media attention worldwide. Our organisation being forced to close is part of a pattern and we have to ask what does the Indian government have to fear? But our work will not stop.” He said action and solidarity from “organisations like the Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights are critical to seek justice in India.”  

Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director, Interfaith Center of New York; Associate Minister, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church referred to Article 25 in the Indian Constitution, which proclaims equality of all religions, saying, “The concept of the state practicing equal distance from all religions was a model for the rest of the world. It is a pity that we should be gathered here to ask India to follow its own Constitution.”

Jewish Voice for Peace and JVP-Action, Deputy Director,  Rabbi Alissa Wise, stated, “It is no secret that the greatest threat to the forces of domination and control is the threat posed by stretching arms of solidarity across faith, religion, race, gender, ethnicity…There is great power in interfaith solidarity. One of the tools [governments] wield so readily in response is to divide our solidarity by propagating the idea that we must fear each other. What they cannot do is to bend our will, so they…jail and incarcerate powerful cries for political freedom.” Ani Zonneveld, Founder and President of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), said, “For all those out there, regardless of race, religion or what your political affiliation is, your rights don’t matter if you don’t speak up for the rights of others. Please stand in solidarity with Faisal Khan.” 

Vedantic Scholar and Professor of Religion, Dr. Anantanand Rambachan in his concluding remarks at the international conference stated, “Today, this vision of inclusivism and hospitality, grounded in divine and human unity, is threatened by the rise of a version of Hindu nationalism which marginalises minority religious traditions, and brands their followers as alien and anti-national. It is a nationalism that sees diverse religions as fortresses to be defended and not as inviting well-springs where  human beings can meet in friendship to share and to learn from each other. Blinded by ignorance, mistrust and hate, it cannot celebrate in joy the bonds of interreligious friendship. It is nationalism that is threatened by human beings offering prayer in each other’s sacred space. It is nationalism that imprisons a Faisal Khan.”

Parwardhan put it all in perspective with a stark reminder that the times we live in are “much worse than 1975 when it was a declared Emergency and we knew what we were up against. Today this is an undeclared Emergency: The people who run the country are not only the people in Parliament. They are the people who have the big money in our country, They control every institution.” 

 

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An online petition has been launched demanding the immediate release of peace activist Faisal Khan who had been arrested for offering namaz or a traditional Muslim prayer inside the premises of the Nand Baba temple in Mathura.

Khan along with a few other members of the group Khudai Khidmatgar was on a five-day tour of the Brij region of Uttar Pradesh as a part of an inter-faith harmony building exercise. On October 30, the group visited the Nand Baba temple. The petition that has been launched on Change.org, says, “When it was time for the midday namaz (Muslim prayer), Faisal was going to pray outside, but the priest invited him to pray right there in the temple. Faisal and one of his associates, Chand Mohammed, prayed in the temple compound.” However, the display of communal harmony appeared to have backfired a few days later.

“Unfortunately four days later, Faisal Khan was arrested in Delhi and jailed in Mathura, UP. The same priest that had invited Faisal to pray had filed the FIR (police complaint). The charges against Faisal are two-fold: 1) conducting Muslim prayers in a Hindu temple withut permission and with intent to create community disharmony; and 2) creating Khudai Khidmatgar as a pretext for raising funds from foreign sources for nefarious activities,” says the petition.

Highlighting Faisal Khan’s unwavering commitment to secularism and long track record of working towards building communal harmony, the petition says, “Faisal Khan is a Gandhian activist. He is the National Convener of Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) India. Khudai Khidmatgar is an organisation and movement started by nonviolent peace activist and freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, also known as Badshah Khan and Frontier Gandhi. Faisal revived this movement for peace and interfaith harmony in 2011.” The petition further says, “He has been associated with the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) for the past 15 years, working for communal harmony and people’s empowerment. He is an executive committee member of Socialist Party (India). He has helped establish Sabka Ghar (The People’s House) in Delhi and Kanyakumari, dedicated to all those killed in the name of Religion, Caste, Gender, Race and Boundaries. Faisal is also a member of the Advisory Board of Hindus for Human Rights.”

The petition asserts, “Faisal Khan devotes his life to building and promoting interfaith peace and harmony and spreading the message of love. He is carrying on the legacy of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. To accuse such a man of creating communal disharmony is meaningless and absurd. He prayed in the temple only at the invitation of the priest.”

It further clarifies, “Khudai Khidmatgar was incorporated legally as a Trust in 2011, and all their legal papers are intact. Khudai Khidmatgar does not have FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 1976) status required for accepting funding from foreign sources. Therefore, not a penny has been received by Khudai Khidmatgar from any foreign source.”

The petition has been launched by Sunita Viswanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), a US based civil-liberties advocacy group that is committed to the ideals of multi-religious pluralism both in the United States and India. 

The entire petition may be viewed here.

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As he continues to be in judicial custody, Hindu voices are also rising to seek justice for inter-faith peace activist Faisal Khan. A group of concerned citizens, named Hindu Voices for Peace, has written to express their “dismay and sadness” at the arrest of Faisal Khan, and three other members of Khudai Khidmatgar. Khan was arrested on October 29, 2020, following a complaint filed after he took permission and offered namaz in a temple compound after an interfaith peace and solidarity pilgrimage. Khan, the convener Khudai Khidmatgar was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Mathura court. As he had tested positive for Covid-19 and he was sent to institutional quarantine. Khudai Khidmatgar, the NGO that works for communal amity in society, was revived by Faizal Khan to promote interfaith dialogue.

Khan had returned to Delhi the same night, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested him on November 2, and charged him under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. 

The FIR, which was registered on November 1 with the Barsana police station in Mathura, names Faisal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Aalok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta. The FIR stated, “Faizal Khan and Chand Mohammad offered namaz within the temple premises without the permission of the priests and hurt the sentiments of the Hindus. Their associates clicked their photos and made them viral on social media. They might be receiving foreign funding and it might be an attempt to create communal tension in the region.”  His arrest came as a shock to the secular society.

Members of the Hindu Voices for Peace stated, “ Khan has been working tirelessly over years for the cause of inter-religion peace and harmony… they humbly prayed to Sri Krishna, who taught that God is the same to all beings – Srimad Bhagavadgita (9:29) “samoham sarvabhuteshu”. They added that “We cannot emphasize enough that Faisal Khan performed namaz in the temple only after the Nand Baba temple priest invited him to do so. We therefore believe that the charges of promoting enmity and defiling a place of worship against Faisal Khan, are wholly misplaced.”

The group has stated that they while they seek the release of Khan and his associates, they are also “earnestly requesting the government to release from custody, the Hindu men who were arrested for reciting Hindu scriptures at a mosque,” as they believe that “such an action will contribute immensely to shared values of peace and compassion which are at the heart of all religious traditions, and thereby promote communal harmony in the interest of our nation.”

The letter has been signed by eminent citizens including monks such as Brahmachaari Aatmabodhanand of the  Matri Sadan Ashram, Haridwar, historian J Devika, 

Hindus for Human Rights co-founder, Deepak Gupta, Prof. Ritu Priya from the  Center of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU, Swami Sandeepanandagiri, Gita Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram, Swami Shivananda Saraswati, Founder President, Matri Sadan Ashram, Haridwar, Goswami Sushil Maharaj – National Convenor of Bhartiya Sarva Dharma Sansad (Parliament of all Religion), Thakur Dwara Mandir, Noida, Mahant Yugal Kishore Shastri, Mahanth, Ram Janaki Temple, Ayodhya and many others from India and abroad.

The statement may be read here: 

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The post Charges against Faisal Khan are wholly misplaced: Hindu Voices for Peace appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Arrested for offering namaz in a temple compound after an interfaith peace and solidarity pilgrimage Faizal Khan convener Khudai Khidmatgar was sent to 14-day judicial custody by  Mathura court. Khan tested positive for Covid-19 and has been sent to institutional quarantine, reported The Hindu quoting lawyer Suyash Tripathi, who is also a member of Khudai Khidmatgar, the NGO that works for communal amity in society.

Faizal Khan was arrested for allegedly offering namaz in the compound of Nand Baba temple in Barsana on October 29. Khan had returned to Delhi the same night,  the Uttar Pradesh police arrested Khan on November 2, charged him under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR, which was registered on November 1 with the Barsana police station in Mathura, names has been registered against Faisal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Aalok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta. 

Khan was arrested from his home in the  Okhla area of Delhi on Monday, handed over to the Uttar Pradesh police at the Jamia Nagar police station. The FIR stated that: “Faizal Khan and Chand Mohammad offered namaz within the temple premises without the permission of the priests and hurt the sentiments of the Hindus. Their associates clicked their photos and made them viral on social media. They might be receiving foreign funding and it might be an attempt to create communal tension in the region,” the Hindu quoted  Kanha the temple priest who had filed in the FIR.

Khan has been on a communal harmony tour last month,  it was on the last day of his ‘84 kos’ trip that he visited the famed Nand Baba Mandir on October 28. Initial videos of his interaction with the attendants, and the priest at the temple showed warm friendly conversation. “We are here for generating goodwill. There is everything in the world, what is missing is love and in the Brij region I have felt copious amounts of love… Krishna belongs to all, his love belongs to the mankind…” said Khan. The chats end  with the Hindu priest offering Khan a small leaf bowl of prasad, and inviting them to stay for a meal.

According to Pawan Yadav, spokesperson Khudai Khidmatgar those present at the temple allowed Khan to offer namaz in the temple compound itself. He stated that the temple priest and others told Khan, “You are already in the home of God so why do you need to go anywhere else?” After Faisal Khan completed his prayers they stayed on and accepted the lunch invite in the same temple.

The organisation has opposed “all the allegations put on Faisal Khan, his associates Chand Mohd., Nilesh Gupta and Sagar Ratna.” They state that Khan and the team  focus on communal harmony, and work to “counter any forms of religious extremism in this society”. They added that “many Hindu religious institutions have appreciated and acknowledged the work of Faisal khan for his uncompromised work for peace and brotherhood.”

Khan has been getting support from all corners of citizenry, who hail him as someone who works to promote brotherhood and understanding between different religions.  

According to The Hindu, Dr. Kush Kumar Singh who shares the residence with Khan as a “social experiment” said the latter has a deep understanding of the Hindu religion and it had been widely acknowledged,“I am a Hindu living in a Muslim dominated area but we celebrate Janamasthmi with great fervour. The NGO has professionals from different communities and we work towards removing the cobwebs from people’s minds,” said Dr. Singh from Mathura.

Pawan Yadav, spokesperson Khudai Khidmatgar has stated that those present at the temple allowed Khan to offer namaz in the temple compound itself. He stated that the temple priest and others told Khan “you are already in the home of God so why do you need to go anywhere else?” After Faisal Khan completed his prayers they stayed on and accepted the lunch invite in the same temple.

However, the temple priest Kanha said he stopped Khan because of the skull cap, “When he shared his thoughts, we were impressed with his deep understanding of Krishna and Hindu texts. That’s why I recorded the conversation. I gave him the prasad and offered him to have lunch with us. But they refused and said they were in a hurry. There was no discussion on offering namaz in the temple premises. Later, the guard told us that they were offering namaz, and when he stopped them, they left. We have no personal animosity against him as thousands of people of different faiths come to Krishna’s abode every day. We just want to find out their real motive.”

Meanwhile, four men were held for ‘reading Hanuman Chalisa’ at Mathura eidgah, reported the Indian Express. The men reportedly entered the eidgah around 10 am on Tuesday and recited the Chalisa. According to police, the accused – Saurabh Lambardar, Kanha, Raghav, and Krishna Thakur – did this in response to Faisal Khan offering namaz at the Nand Baba temple.

Superintendent of Police, Rural Mathura, Shirish Chandra was quoted by IE: “It was brought to our notice through social media that some men read Hanuman Chalisa at an eidgah in Govardhan area. While it was claimed that the act was to promote peace, it was done in a wrongful manner. The four have been issued challans under Section 151 of CrPC. No complaint has been received against them.” The men hail from Govardhan area and are not affiliated to any religious organisation. 

The news report added that in neighboring Agra district, unidentified people defaced gates of three mosques in the city. “FIRs have been filed (and) strict action will be taken against the accused. We are in the process of identifying the accused,” SSP, Agra, Babloo Kumar  told the media, adding, the police received information through local residents that “some people had used a saffron-coloured spray paint on the gates of mosques.” According to Agra police, three FIRs have been filed in Tajganj, Loha Mandi and Rakaganj police stations under IPC Section 295A (deliberate act intended to outrage religious sentiments) against unknown persons. The police are scanning CCTV footage to trace the identity of the accused. The paint was removed after the police were informed, residents said.

Another man was arrested inBalrampur district on Monday for allegedly posting objectionable contents against Hindu deities on his Twitter handle, police said on Tuesday. “The language used in the post was highly objectionable. That is why we have arrested the man, identified as 30-year-old Zafar Hussain, and registered a case against him,” Balrampur SP Dev Ranjan Verma was quoted by IE.

Faisal Khan’s arrest has been condemned across the country, with many organisations issuing statements of solidarity and demanding that all the peace activists be released immediately.

Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy has expressed shock at the arrest of Faisal Khan and three others  for promoting communal harmony. They stated that they were “stunned & surprised at the fact that Faisal Khan & his associates Chand Muhammad, Alok Ratan & Nilesh Gupta have been booked & arrested for praying, offering namaz within the premises of the Hindu Temple, namely the Nand Baba Temple in Mathura. It was at the behest of the good Panditji himself that the namaaz was offered. It was during their interaction, when the Azaan was heard & Faisal said that they would have to leave for namaaz. The Panditiji stated that this Temple too is the house of God & that he could pray here itself.”

Khan’s arrest stated the group was “both shocking & alarming that an act that actually epitomises the syncretic culture of our unique Indian tradition, is now viewed by some religious extremists as an act of provocation.” 

They added that Faisal Khan and his friends were undertaking “a parikrama, visiting various Temples & Mosques, interacting with people of all communities, building bridges & attempting to heal a society that is being increasingly torn apart by polarising extremist religious & political forces.”

The statement reiterated that Faisal Khan has only “mirrored the best traditions of this country, stated the IMSD where Temples, Mosques, Churches, Gurudwaras & Viharas open themselves up for interfaith dialogue & prayer. Our country is where recently the Udupi Krishna Mutt hosted an iftar for Muslims & appealed for communal harmony. Where a Gurudwara hosted Namaz for Muslims caught in heavy rain on Eid ul Azha. Where Muslims let Sikhs use the historic Lal Masjid mosque for preparing, serving Langar. Where a Church hosted Namaz. Where a Mosque organised a Hindu wedding with all rituals & served a vegetarian feast.”

The entire statement may be read here:

We are shocked and surprised at the fact that Faisal Khan & his associates Chand Muhammad, Alok Ratan & Nilesh Gupta from the peace-promoting Khudai Khidmatgar organisation have been booked & arrested for praying, offering namaaz within the premises of the Nand Baba Temple in Mathura. It was at the behest of the temple’s priest that the namaaz was offered. When the azaan was heard during their interaction with the priest and others, Faisal said he needed to go for namaaz. On this, the temple priest stated that the temple too is the house of God so he could pray there itself. Faisal did so and then departed for the next phase of their peace yatra. Later some people took offence and the police have filed complaints u/s 153(A), 295 & 505 of the IPC at the Mathura police station. Soon after this Faisal was arrested from Delhi and taken to UP.

It’s both shocking and alarming that an act that actually epitomises the syncretic culture of our unique Indian tradition is now viewed by some religious extremists as an act of provocation. 

In fact Faisal Khan, the founder convenor of the Khudai Khitmatgar and his friends were on a parikrama, visiting various temples and mosques, interacting with people of all communities and building bridges in an effort to heal a society that is being increasingly torn apart by polarising extremist religious and political forces.

Faisal Khan has only mirrored the best traditions of this country, where temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and viharas are often open for interfaith dialogue and prayer. 

Our country is where recently the Udupi Krishna Mutt hosted an iftar for Muslims and appealed for communal harmony. Where a Gurudwara offered space for namaz to Muslims caught in heavy rain on Bakri Idd. Where Muslims let Sikhs use the historic Lal Masjid mosque for preparing, serving langar. Where a church hosted Namaz. Where a mosque organised a Hindu wedding with all rituals and served a vegetarian feast. 

This is the India that we know, that we have grown up in. The ‘New India’ it would seem, is the very antithesis of all that India has stood for over ages.

The Khudai Khitmatgar comes from this very rich syncretic age old tradition, the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and Abdul Ghaffar Khan! The Khudai Khitmatgar organises programmes & yatras with the central purpose of inter-faith dialogue & communal harmony, helps people during times of distress, all for the cause of peace & unity.

IMSD demands that all the cases imposed upon them be withdrawn and Faisal Khan and his associates be set free immediately! 

Javed Anand (Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy, IMSD, National Convenor, Mumbai)

Feroze Mithiborwala (IMSD, National Co-Convener, Mumbai)

Bilal Khan (IMSD, 9958660556, Mumbai)

Anjum Rajabali (Film Scriptwriter, Mumbai)

Amir Rizvi (Designer, Mumbai)

Amol Madame (Writer, Mumbai)

Afaque Azad (Musician, Social Activist, Mumbai)

Arif Kapadia (Social Activist, Mumbai)

Anil Hebbar (Business entrepreneur, Mumbai)

Askari Zaidi (Mumbai)

Prof. Brinelle Desouza (Mumbai)

Chayanika Shah (LABIA – A Queer Feminist LBT Collective, Mumbai)

Dr. Frazer Mascarenhas (Academic Administrator, Mumbai)

Fahad Ahmad (Phd Research Scholar, Student Leader, Mumbai)

Guddi S. L. (Editor, Janata Weekly)

Geeta Sheshu (Journalist, Mumbai)

Jyoti Punwani (Journalist, Mumbai)

Kavita Srivastava (Human Rights & Civil Liberties, Jaipur)

Kishor Jagtap (President, Phule-Ambedkar Vichar Manch)

Lata P.M. (Writer, Bahujan Feminist, Pune)

Lara Jesani (Advocate Mumbai High Court)

Mukta Srivastava (Jagnyacha Haqq Andolan, Thane)

Masooma Ranalvi (Social Activist, Delhi)

Madhu Prasad (Right to Education)

Meera Sanghamitra (NAPM)

Dr. Suresh Khairnar (Veteran Gandhian Socialist)

Sandeep Pandey (Magsaysay Award Winner, Lucknow)

Dr. Sunilam (Leader of the Farmers movement, Indore)

Adv. Saif Mahmood (Delhi)

Sitaram Shelar (CPD, Mumbai)

Shweta Damle (Habitat and Livelihood Welfare Association, Mumbai)

Shalini Dhawan (Designer, Mumbai)

Salim Sabuwala (Social Activist, Mumbai)

Ulka Mahajan (Jagnyacha Haqq Andolan)

Varsha Vidya Vilas (Sadbhavna Sangh, Mumbai)

Dr. Walter Fernandes (Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre)

Yashodhan Paranjpe (Social Activist, Mumbai)

Prof. Zeenat Shaukat Ali (Wisdom Foundation, Mumbai)

#KhudaiKhidmatgar #FaisalKhan pic.twitter.com/wE4jNAxqxN

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) November 3, 2020

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The post Khudai Khidmatgar convener Faisal Khan sent to 14-day judicial custody  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Faisal Khan, runs Khudai Khidmatgar, an organisation that aims to promote communal harmony in the country. He and three others from his team were arrested on November 2 in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. An FIR was registered against him and the others for allegedly offering namaz, the Muslim prayer, in the  Nand Baba temple premises without permission.

Khan has been on a communal harmony tour, visiting many places, including temples, meeting people and on the last day of the ‘84 kos’ trip had visited the famed Nand Baba Mandir on October 28. Initial videos of his interaction with the attendants, and the priest at the temple showed that it just takes a warm gesture to start relationships. His interactions with the Hindu men seemed to be what the millennials call ‘friendship goals’, the banter ranged from anecdotes from socio religious history illustrating communal harmony. The clip ends with the priest offering him a small leaf bowl of prasad, and inviting them to stay for a meal.

https://www.facebook.com/469281336977664/posts/802857553620039/

However, soon after this video, some more images of Khan and an associate offering namaz in the temple courtyard went viral. It was then that things took a turn for the worse. It was alleged that Khan offered the namaz in a Hindu temple without permission of the authorities. The priest who had been talking to Khan in the earlier clip then reportedly registered an FIR, following which Khan was arrested on November 2. According to Khan’s associate as it was noon and time for the Zuhr namaz the Hindu priest himself said the Muslim visitors could offer their prayers in the premises. “We thought we would leave the place and offer namaz, but after they said it was a prayer of devotional songs we offered our namaz after their permission,” stated Khudai Khidmatgar.

Peace activist Faisal Khan, is the National convenor of Khudai Khidmatgar, an organisation founded by freedom fighter Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan better known as Frontier Gandhi. According to the organisation’s statement issued after Faisal Khan was arrested, he was on a five-day yatra or pilgrimage, from October 24-29, 2020, to Braja, or the land of the Hindu god Krishna. 

The photos may be seen on Khan’s social media pages, posted on the day of the visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000984213442

Pawan Yadav, spokesperson Khudai Khidmatgar has stated that those present at the temple allowed Khan to offer namaz in the temple compound itself. He stated that the temple priest and others told Khan, “You are already in the home of God so why do you need to go anywhere else?” After Faisal Khan completed his prayers they stayed on and accepted the lunch invite in the same temple.

Khan returned to Delhi, but three days later he was told that “some people” were “not happy”  with what happened on October 29 and will lodge a police complaint. The Uttar Pradesh police arrested Khan on November 2, charged him under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR, which was registered on November 1 with the Barsana police station in Mathura, names has been registered against Faisal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Aalok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta, reported The Quint. 

The organisation has opposed “all the allegations put on Faisal Khan, his associates Chand Mohd., Nilesh Gupta and Sagar Ratna.” They state that Khan and the team  focus on communal harmony, and work to “counter any forms of religious extremism in this society”. They added that “many Hindu religious institutions have appreciated and acknowledged the work of Faisal khan for his uncompromised work for peace and brotherhood.”

However the organisation has apologised for any sentiments hurt and stated, “If anybody individual or organization feels that we have hurt their sentiments then we are sorry for that but still want to add it was never our intention.”

According to a report by The Quint, after his arrest in the evening on November 2 Khan was taken to Jamia Nagar police station, and then handed over to Uttar Pradesh police. The news report quotes the FIR stating: “Without informing or taking permission from those at the temple premises, they offered their namaz here. Those who came with them took photos of them praying and posted it on social media, after which it became viral. This is also being shown in the news. Because of their acts, the sentiments of the Hindu community have been hurt. We are apprehensive that they will incorrectly use the image of the temple. We also have our apprehensions regarding this organisation and if it is getting funding from foreign Muslim institutions and has relations with them. We would like an investigation as we are worried that they did this to hurt the harmony in the area.”

It quotes Yadav refuting all charges adding, “Selective pictures are being shared on social media. Those in the temple are right there behind them when they are offering prayers. No one was hiding anything and nor did anyone at the temple have a problem at all. If they did have one, they would have stopped them right there right?” 

According to India TV news, the temple authorities, meanwhile, conducted a ‘purification’ ritual at the courtyard where Khan is shown to have offered namaz. The India TV, headlines it as ‘2 Muslim’s among 4 named in FIR’. The men at the temple are now demanding ‘strict action’ against Khan and his team for ‘hurting religious sentiments’.

The entire statement of Khudai Khidmatgar may be read here:

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The post Faisal Khan was asked to offer namaz in the temple: Khudai Khidmatgar appeared first on SabrangIndia.