Lord Murugan statue at Batu Caves temple
A controversy has erupted after Abdellatif Ouisa, a Germany-based Muslim Dawah influencer, posted a video of himself reciting a Surah from the Quran in front of the revered Lord Murugan statue at Batu Caves temple, Malaysia. The video, which criticises idol worship, has garnered lakhs of views on TikTok and thousands more on Instagram and Facebook, drawing sharp criticism from the Hindu community.
The Batu Caves Murugan temple is a significant religious site for Hindus worldwide, renowned for its majestic Lord Murugan statue and impressive cave temple architecture, which attract millions of tourists annually. On May 19, Abdellatif Ouisa visited the site and recorded a TikTok video where he recited a Quran verse against idol worship while standing in front of the Lord Murugan idol.
The verse recited by Abdellatif translates to: “[Ibrahim (Abraham)] said, ‘Do you then worship besides Allah, things that can neither profit you nor harm you? Uff to you and to what you worship instead of Allah. Then will you not use reason?'” During the recitation, he pointed disrespectfully at the statue of Bhagwan Murugan, implying that only Allah should be worshipped, not murtis. Abdellatif also shared another video showing him reciting the verse to tourists inside the temple premises.
The videos have sparked outrage on social media, with many Hindus demanding stringent action against Abdellatif Ouisa for hurting their religious sentiments. Critics argue that his actions are disrespectful and provocative, especially at a site of such religious significance.
Social Media Outrage against Hinduphobic Video
The malicious video posted by Abdellatif Ouisa with the intention of demeaning Hindus is being virally shared on social media. Enraged by this, Hindus are venting their rage in the comment section of the video.
Nettizon Abhishek Singh said in his post, “Why these mentally sick people do these things? If you are allowed to come to other people’s holy places, then follow their rules and regulations. Why do you guys not do that? Imagine if someone does this to your own holy place; how will you feel?”.
An Instagram user named Denisan posted a reply to the video, saying, “In Hinduism, these are called avatars and belong to one god. We also believe, like you, in one god. Nobody worships something else beside God. Now get out of the place you disrespectful.”
A Malaysian Hindu Ragini Gunasekaran posted, “You come to Malaysia; you need to respect the multiethnicity, culture, and religion here. Stop being ignorant.”
Not only Hindus, but Muslims also replied to the video, condemning Abdellatif for his act of hurting the sentiments of Hindus. Instagram user Arshad replied, “Very cheap behaviour, bro. Don’t expect this from a Muslim. You can’t point at a religion or culture for you to become famous. And start hatred among the audience. This is itself Haram . Hurting one’s emotions is haram, and respecting all is ISLAM”.
X handle user Incognito shared the video on his X page and tagged the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Malaysian Prime Minister Ibrahim Anwar, demanding action against Abdellatif Ouisa for deliberately hurting the sentiments of Hindus.
Know who is Abdellatif Ouisa?
Abdellatif Ouisa, a Moroccan-origin Dawah influencer based in Germany, sparked outrage after posting a video of himself reciting a Surah from the Quran in front of the revered Lord Murugan statue at Batu Caves temple, Malaysia. The video, which criticises idol worship, has garnered millions of views on TikTok and thousands more on Instagram and Facebook, drawing sharp criticism from the Hindu community.
Abdellatif Ouisa, known for his Dawah activities, has over 70 lakh likes on his TikTok page, more than five lakh followers on Instagram, and over two lakh subscribers on his YouTube channel, Abdeen Tube. He is also active on Facebook and Snapchat. Abdellatif’s Dawah activities include loudly reciting Quranic Surahs in crowded streets, engaging in street debates with other religious influencers, encouraging non-Muslims to listen to Quranic recitations, and promoting proselytization among non-Muslims. He frequently uploads videos of these activities on social media.
Abdellatif conducts his Dawah activities in major European cities such as London, Berlin, Paris, and Düsseldorf, and often travels to African and Middle Eastern countries. He runs an online academy named Abdeen Academy, offering courses in Arabic language, Quran memorization, and a two-year online Hafiz course. Additionally, he owns a virtual shop selling traditional Moroccan and Emirati attire, Taqiyah caps, Arab scarves, and Miswak.
Malaysia has a significant Hindu population, making up more than six percent of the country’s demographics, with the majority being Tamils. Recently, radical Islamist elements in Malaysia have increasingly targeted the Hindu population for conversion. Incidents of forced conversions often make headlines, including a major controversy in 2023 when the Prime Minister of Malaysia openly converted a Hindu youth to Islam after Friday prayers at a mosque in Selangor state.
Why have Tamil Nadu political parties, some of whom claim Bhagwan Muruga as God of Tamils, not condemned the acts of Abdellatif, who tried to demolish the idol worshipping custom of Hindus?
Tensions have escalated in Malaysia as anti-Hindu Dravidian organizations, in collaboration with radical Muslim groups, are increasingly targeting the Hindu community, particularly focusing on idol worship with the intent of conversion.
The Karunchattai Ilaingar Padai (Black Shirt Youth Army), an anti-Hindu Dravidian organization, in coalition with Malaysia Dravidar Kazhagam, organized the controversial International Youth Rationalism Forum-2023. The seminar, held on December 24 at the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, was conducted to commemorate the 50th death anniversary of E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, a prominent anti-Hindu activist.
Keynote speakers at the seminar were young members of Periyarist groups and anti-Hindu student organizations from Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Canada, the United States, and Sri Lanka. Co-organizers of the seminar included Malaysia Dravidar Kazhagam, Manthaneya Dravidar Kazhagam, Malaysia Tamizhar Tanmana Periyakkam, Pera State Periyar Pasarai, Periyar Narpani Mandram, and Tamizh Neri Kazhagam.
The seminar faced strong opposition from Hindu organizations in Malaysia. On December 20, a consortium of 27 Hindu organizations, including Hindu Seva Sangam and Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram, held a press conference to condemn the event and demanded that the Malaysian Home Ministry ban the conference. The intense protests initially forced the seminar to move from its original venue at My Skills College to the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Hindu leaders expressed their concerns about the seminar’s agenda, fearing it could incite further religious tension and promote anti-Hindu sentiments. They emphasized the need for unity and respect among Malaysia’s diverse religious communities, urging the authorities to take stringent measures to prevent such divisive events.
A viral video featuring a Malaysian Hindu man denouncing an anti-Hindu seminar has intensified the controversy surrounding the event. The video, widely circulated on social media, captures the man’s vehement opposition to the International Youth Rationalism Forum-2023, organised by Karunchattai Ilaingar Padai and Malaysia Dravidar Kazhagam.
In the video, the man states, “We don’t want this Periyarist group, which does propaganda in favor of ‘living together’ relationships, to spoil the lives of our girls and boys. Seminars like this are the first step towards religious conversion. This seminar should be stopped at all costs, and the Malaysian home ministry should immediately arrest the organisers. We (Hindus) are living in peace in Malaysia.”
Hindu organisations in Malaysia had already expressed strong opposition to the seminar, fearing it could incite religious tension and promote anti-Hindu sentiments. They demanded the Malaysian Home Ministry ban the event, resulting in its relocation from My Skills College to the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall due to intense protests.
Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, there have been ongoing attempts by Dravidian, Naxal, and minority groups to undermine Hindu festivals and customs under the guise of promoting religious and social harmony. Initiatives like Equality Pongal, where Muslims participate in the Hindu festival, have sparked controversy. Critics argue that while such initiatives promote harmony, there are no equivalent celebrations for Ramzan or Christmas.
Additionally, during temple festivals, some Muslim groups have begun offering refreshments to Hindu devotees. While intended to foster goodwill, these actions are viewed by some as attempts to mitigate the perception that Muslims oppose Hindus. Critics also highlight the opposition to Hindu religious processions in mosque and church localities, citing it as a double standard.
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