It was an ordinary night on September 18 for Hafiz Ibrahim as he made his way through the Muslim populated locality in Benipatti of Bihar to offer his night prayers (isha) in a local mosque. This otherwise peaceful locality was pierced by a DJ playing loud right in front of the mosque when he reached.
The azan was already called in Sunni Noori Jamia Masjid amidst the loud noise of the procession’s DJ being played for three hours on the occasion of Vishwakarma pooja. As the worshippers gathered, 21-years old Ibrahim realised that prayers cannot be offered in peace. He volunteered to go and request for the DJ to be turned off. What was meant to be a simple request soon turned him into a victim of a mob attack.
Within minutes, Ibrahim was dragged out of the mosque and mercilessly thrashed by several men who were part of the procession. Worshippers watched this in shock, unable to figure out how to rescue Ibrahim who lay there helpless amidst a mob of more than 10 men as he couldn’t defend himself or run for his life.
His skullcap was ripped off, thrown on ground and kicked by the mob in a deliberate act of insult. Fortunately, as the crowd increased, people finally managed to rescue him.
The family described the attack as life-threatening saying that they watched in horror when he was taken home after the brutal attack.
Narrating the ordeal of the entire family when he was rescued and taken home, his sister Shaziya recalled and told The Observer Post, “We were in complete disbelief and didn’t know what to do. My elderly parents could not stop crying. We thought we had lost him as his head was profusely bleeding.”
“He was then rushed to a government hospital and his situation still remains critical due to blood loss,” she added.
Describing Ibrahim, Shahzin affirmed that he is adored by all. She said, “He never gets into altercations and is adored by all. He had returned home after his exams to spend time with family. We never knew a simple request to turn off the DJ would risk his life.”
The police registered an FIR after the victim’s family along with many locals approached them. So far, only three individuals have been arrested.
Shaziya informed that the police have asserted that the culprits will be arrested and said, “We are hoping that the police will do justice to us and ensure that Muslims in our locality live safely.”
Ibrahim’s family described him as a hardworking boy who finished memorizing the Quran earlier than other children and is currently enrolled in the third year of the graduation programme in Islamic studies.
They now fear for the safety of the entire family, worried that the attackers who are still free might target them again.
