New Delhi: A viral image of a Muslim man being beaten up by a mob during the communal riots in Northeast Delhi has been shared by the ISIS, calling for retaliatory action in ‘Wilayat al-Hind’, which is the terror group’s “province” in India.
Unsurprisingly, the viral image of a Muslim man being beaten by a Hindu mob in Delhi has now been repurposed by ISIS, in a poster justifying retaliatory violence in “Wilayat al-Hind,” the Caliphate’s “Indian Province.” pic.twitter.com/Cw5EzAvmE5
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) February 28, 2020
The man in the viral picture, who was assaulted by the mob, was identified as Mohammad Zubair. He was on his way home from a mosque Monday when he was confronted by a large group of men armed with lathis and iron rods.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Zubair said that he could not bear to see the picture, because when he saw it, his legs shivered with pain. Zubair claimed the mob hurled communal slurs at him and he was beaten until he went unconscious.
The riots erupted Sunday and continued for the next two days. The death toll in the violence has climbed to 39.
Wilayat al-Hind
In May 2019, after one of the members of the Islamic State died in a clash with Indian security forces in Kashmir, the terror group announced the establishment of a new branch in India — Wilayat al-Hind.
The ISIS announced the establishment of this new branch after it was driven out from its so-called “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, a pro-ISIS group this week launched an India-specific publication, titled — ‘Voice of Hind‘. All these seem to be an attempt to take advantage of the tensed and volatile situation in the national capital.
Meanwhile as the madness unfolds… pro #ISIS publication group launches an India focused product…..sensing this as an opportunity to ride the communal cleavages and the incompetence of the state to handle lunatics and radicals – via @KabirTaneja pic.twitter.com/LfmJ7dIcPg
— Samir Saran (@samirsaran) February 27, 2020
In February, in its weekly newsletter, the ISIS had condemned the Citizenship Amendment Act.
It also said that regardless of Indian Muslims’ loyalty towards their country, they are being kicked out. The terror group further said that democracies inherently seek to stifle Islam.
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