Al Jazeera: Hindu Mob Set Fire to Historic Library at Muslim School

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Facts

  • On Monday, Al Jazeera reported that Madrassa Azizia, a prominent Muslim school in Bihar Sharif town of Nalanda district in eastern India’s Bihar state, was set on fire by a mob on the occasion of the Hindu festival Ram Navami.1
  • As many as 4.5K books on Islamic culture and literature were reportedly destroyed, when more than 500 people barged into the school during Ram Navami processions on March 31.2
  • In addition, petrol bombs were found in the library and outside its 22 classrooms. While the madrassa was closed for Ramzan, the mob — armed with swords and rods — allegedly entered the campus by breaking the lock.3
  • Stones were also pelted at an adjacent mosque, and a young man died during the clashes. Over a dozen shops were set ablaze, as violence and religious tension grew in the neighborhood.4
  • Residents blame the district administration’s inaction and lack of preparedness, claiming the procession was huge but the government deployed only a few police personnel to manage the crowd.4
  • PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is often accused of orchestrating communal violence, and a rise in Islamophobia has been observed since he took power in India in 2014.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2The indian express, 3The hindu, 4The wire and 5Itn.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The vibes. Islamophobia is growing in India, and anti-Muslim violence is destroying sacred and vital institutions. The burning of the madrassa and its library by Hindu extremists in Bihar Sharif is one of many instances of violence during Ram Navami. Muslims in many different regions of India have experienced similar violence, yet the Indian government refuses to acknowledge the situation, let alone address it.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Opindia. The Ram Navami violence is the result of administrative failure by Bihar Police. Per the state government's directions, the police did not stop the violence in Bihar Sharif as rioters bombed, burned, and looted Hindu-owned shops. Instead, they penalized the Hindus — who suffered at the hands of the Muslim extremists — during peaceful celebrations of Ram Navami. It is a well-planned conspiracy to give a bad name to the Hindu population.

Predictions