When person abusing your faith turns out to be a co-religionist: Social media's illusions and internet crimes

The person abuses your faith online, posts objectionable messages and shares photographs that are so inflammatory that it is not proper to describe them.

You get angry and disturbed. You may write angry comments to him, argue, tell him to stop or shut up.

But did you ever imagine that he also belongs to your own faith? And that he is still doing it because he had a purpose!

May be, he has certain psychological issues or wants to defame someone and hence assumed a false identity.

So he is using it to post objectionable things to defame that person. Did  you consider this option?

And when you know the truth, do you realise you were unnecessarily spending energies and were getting mad at 'people of other religion'. That's the online world.

On internet, especially, social media, there is no dearth of people who suffer from 'attention deficit disorder' or who just love to 'irk others'. Such mischief-makers feel its a prank but don't they realise consequences!

For them, perhaps, it's a spectacle to watch when others keep fighting on their Facebook wall over a photo or message, as they themselves watch with glee, and perhaps pat themselves on their back for making others fight.

Man who caused communal riots, arrested

This is a real story and has lessons for all. A morphed photograph was circulated on social media by a person, which led to riot.

Then, there was a second round of rioting. There were deaths during the violence and the victims were both Hindu and Muslim.

The person who was behind the post, used a Hindu ID to post against Muslims, and then used Muslim ID to circulate messages against Hindus. For weeks, the entire town remained on edge.

The man used a BJP leader's ID on Facebook to post, anti-Muslim message. It is so easy in those days, you can create a leader's page or fan page yourself. But that's criminal act.

The law-and-order situation was such that police from adjoining places had to be called. There was widening communal divide and tension.

Arrested

Finally, the police and cyber experts, managed to trace him. It was found that he was ordinary youth. He was Nitesh Verma, a simply, guy next door--who was doing post-graduation in computer applications (PDGCA).

On internet, he used 'Hindu ID to abuse Muslims' and 'Muslim ID to abuse Hindus'. Why he did it? The investigators found that he had very few friends. He didn't come out of his house. He lacked self-confidence.

*On July 2, he used Naved Khan's id to post photo that hurt Hindu sentiments
*On July 19, he hacked Anurag Soni's id to upload photos that hurt Muslims
*On July 30, he hacked Altaf Abbai's photo and posted BJP leader's photo to make hateful comments against Muslims
*Earlier, he  had hacked Sagar Verma's id to upload objectionable content

His brother had committed suicide and he blamed certain youths of the locality. He was angry with them and as he felt he was not strong enough to take on them, he planned 'the revenge' in this way. He thought he would hack their IDs or create their fake IDs for spreading messages that would hurt them badly.

The results were too serious: Communal violence and deaths. Verma is in jail now. It can be any one, a Nitesh Verma or a Naeem Khan. Just that we need to learn the lessons right from this episode. Cyber safety, understanding online behaviour and the need for spreading awareness about it.

One hopes that in coming years, people will learn cyber etiquette. However, what one must do right now. First, stop getting irritated.

If the posts are incendiary, 'report' the person. You can also ignore or block them on Facebook. If there is a fear that communal harmony can be disrupted, inform the authorities. They generally take care of the rest.

LINK TO DAINIK BHASKAR REPORT

1. Youth behind inflammatory messages, posts arrested
2. Nav Bharat Times report on communal violence, curfew, death
3. Riot leaves one dead, six injured in Khandwa over Facebook comment

[This happened just a few months back--in July/August 2014]

No house for Muslims: Controversy over Shabana Azmi's statement

The outrage over Shabana Azami's comments, especially the extreme reaction of filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, composer Aadesh Shrivastava and director Shashi Ranjan is quite misplaced.

Firstly, it is a problem which we must understand. Today, it has become immensely difficult for a Muslim to get a house on rent in urban areas of this country.

The problem is more in North, Western and Central India, while it is comparative less in the four Southern states [not entirely absent though].

Just the other day a friend told me about the problems he faced in getting a house in Jaipur. That's how the conversation progressed:

Landlord: Give three months advance rent and take the keys
--Sure. No problem.

What's your name Sir
--Azhar

Ajay bhai, what's your caste? [he felt that the name as Ajay]
--I am Muslim

Muslim! how come your name is Ajay
--My name is AZHAR...AZHAR...

...Sorry bhai sahab, we can't give you the house

I have faced the situation so many times. It's terrible, you feel really bad. Every time you go house hunting it's the same. It's got nothing to do with vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism. Of course, it's a good shield to say, 'We don't give house to non-veg eaters than directly say, We won't let you in because you are a Muslim'.

The trio--Aadesh Shrivastava, Ashoke Pandit and Shashi Ranjan, have no idea about the situation. People are even objecting if somebody in a society (housing colony) gives a flat to a Muslim tenant. The landlord is asked by others, to desist from giving his flat to a Muslim. Mr Pandit, this culture (as you said) can't get respect but only contempt. It is pure bigotry and hypocrisy.

Like, a guy wants Rs 25,000 (rent) for his big house and a Muslim comes, he may allow him. However, if the rent is Rs 2,000-5,000 and a Muslim knocks at his door, asking whether the house is vacant, the landlord would, in most cases, wait for some one else.

If a few Muslims manage to get house, then it is because they have fat pockets and can pay more than the market rate. Ask any Muslim and you will hear a similar tale. One can't imagine how bad it feels unless he has experienced this 'rejection' himself.

Sadly, this is leading to a serious situation. Urban ghettoisation across India. Two cities in each City. A Hindu City and a Muslim. It will be a horrific situation in future. Unfortunately nobody sees it serious. Our glorious composite culture is facing extinction due to this divide in each Indian city.

And no politician sees it as an issue. Shabana has spoken and is being ridiculed. This is the same hypocrisy for which we are known. There is a problem, let's accept it. I wish the governments could embark upon 'forced segregation' like in Western countries including America where the racial divide had led to a similar situation.

There should be housing schemes and constructions in new areas in such a way that all religious communities should have a fair mix. Housing societies on religious, linguistic and community lines must not be encouraged. The beauty of a society is in its diversity and the harmony with which different communities live together and understand each other's culture.

I know, Shabana, can buy a house, an entire apartment, but how many have her financial status. But, if she has spelled it out, it doesn't need to be condemned. It's our age-old practice to not confront our own biases. Yes, we have an issue, this society has a problem. Accept it, disccuss it and have a discussion. Why can't we sort it out?

Now read other posts on this issue on this blog:

1. Emraan Hashmi denied flat in Mumbai
2. Builders' boycott pushing Indian Muslims into ghettos
3. What about ghettoes of Gujaratis, Christians, Jains, other castes?
4. At last, a bank for Muslims in Juhapura [Ahmedabad]