India’s radicalized mob attacked international students offering namaz inside their hostel at Gujarat University last night, resulting in injuries to five individuals from African countries, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan.
The students explained that due to the absence of a mosque on the Ahmedabad-based campus, they had assembled inside the hostel to observe taraweeh, a nightly Ramadan prayer. Subsequently, a mob armed with sticks and knives stormed the hostel, launching attacks and vandalizing their rooms. Despite efforts by the hostel’s security guard to intervene, the mob continued its assault.
“They pushed the security guard out and then attacked the people offering namaz. When other non-Muslim foreign national students came to our help, they were also attacked, Their rooms were ransacked, and laptops, mobile phones, and mirrors were damaged.” Hindustan Times reported quoting a student as saying.
A student from Afghanistan recounted that the mob raised slogans and questioned their right to offer namaz in the hostel. The injured students, including individuals from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, and African countries, have been hospitalized and have notified their respective embassies.
Visuals shared on social media depict damaged property and scenes of hostility towards the international students. Some videos captured individuals hurling stones at the hostel and verbally abusing the students, chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ evoking fear and condemnation from the victims.
In one video, a member of the mob is heard questioning a security guard about the students’ prayer activities, triggering a confrontation. Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticized the incident, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and address the underlying issues of religious intolerance.
“This incident reflects mass radicalization and is a disgraceful display of anti-Muslim sentiment,” Owaisi stated in a social media post, highlighting the need for immediate action to preserve India’s reputation and communal harmony.
“About 300 overseas students study here. They are from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and African countries. Some of them were offering namaz on the terrace yesterday. Some people came and asked why they were doing so and that they should offer namaz at a mosque. This led to a heated exchange and a fight. The outsiders then threw stones and vandalised the hostel rooms.” said Ahmedabad city police commissioner JS Malik.
Students from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Syria and African countries are currently enrolled in the Gujarat University and many of them live in the hostels.
A video of the incident has surfaced, showing a group of people throwing stones at the hostel and sloganeering.
