Overseas college students attacked in India over Ramadan prayer at college hostel | Islamophobia Information

Not less than 4 international college students have been injured after a Hindu far-right mob allegedly stormed a college hostel in India’s western Gujarat state and attacked the group of scholars for providing prayers through the holy month of Ramadan, native media has reported.

India’s Ministry of Exterior Affairs on Sunday pledged to take “strict actions towards the perpetrators”, because the native police within the residence state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated an investigation was below approach in reference to the assault on the Gujarat College.

The scholars informed native media {that a} small group had gathered on Saturday night time contained in the boys’ hostel premises for the Ramadan tarawih prayer as there is no such thing as a mosque on the college campus based mostly in Ahmedabad. Quickly after, a mob armed with sticks and knives stormed the hostel, attacked them and vandalised their rooms, they stated.

“A gaggle of 15 college students had been providing prayers when three folks got here and began shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ [Hail lord Ram]. They objected to us praying right here,” native media quoted a pupil as saying.

“After a while, about 250 folks got here and shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’. They pelted stones and vandalised hostel properties.”

A pupil from Afghanistan informed native NDTV community: “They attacked us contained in the rooms too. They broke laptops, telephones and broken bikes,” including that the AC and sound system had been destroyed as properly.

Movies posted on X confirmed ransacked pupil dorms and a mob destroying the scholars’ motorbikes with lengthy instruments.

“We can not survive like this,” one African pupil stated in his video filmed from the hostel. Within the background, loud shouting and sounds of things being demolished, damaged and smashed by the mob are heard.

“We got here to India to check and now we’re being attacked simply because it’s time for Ramadan and Muslims had been praying. Now they’re breaking down the bikes, every little thing is being demolished down[stairs],” he stated.

Worldwide college students (Africa, Uzbekistan, Afganistan and many others) learning in Gujarat College @gujuni1949 declare they had been crushed up, Stones thrown at them and at their hostel (A-Block), Automobiles destroyed whereas they had been providing Ramazan Taraweeh at a spot contained in the hostel A-Block… pic.twitter.com/ogJ3h7FUin

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) March 16, 2024

The Indian Categorical information web site reported two of the scholars had been severely injured and are recovering at a hospital after college students from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and several other African international locations had been attacked.

‘Strict motion towards the perpetrators’

“Yesterday, at round 10:30pm a gaggle of scholars had been praying. Round 20-25 folks got here and requested them why they had been praying right here and may as an alternative go the mosque,” Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik informed reporters at a briefing on Sunday.

“An argument broke out between them, stones had been pelted and their rooms had been vandalised by the individuals who got here from exterior.”

He added {that a} grievance has been obtained towards 20-25 folks and one of many accused has been recognized. 9 groups have been shaped to analyze the incident, he stated.

India’s Exterior Affairs Ministry stated on X that the state authorities is “taking strict motion towards the perpetrators”.

“Two international college students had been injured within the conflict. Considered one of them has been discharged from hospital after receiving medical consideration,” spokesman Randhit Jaiswal stated.

Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of parliament from the southern metropolis of Hyderabad, referred to as on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Residence Minister Amit Shah to “intervene to ship a robust message?”

“What a disgrace. When your devotion and spiritual slogans solely come out when Muslims peacefully apply their faith,” he posted on X.

“Home anti-Muslim hatred is destroying India’s goodwill,” he wrote tagging S Jaishankar, India’s exterior affairs minister.

Gujarat College Vice-Chancellor Dr Neerja A Gupta informed native media that the worldwide college students must be educated in “cultural sensitivity”.

“These are international college students and whenever you go overseas, it’s essential to study cultural sensitivity. These college students want an orientation. We’ll sit with them, present cultural orientation and focus on how one can strengthen their safety,” NDTV quoted Gupta as saying.