Commencing in 1858, the Muslim-Hindu conflicts grew wider and wider. The British would provoke the Hindus against the Muslims and then sit and enjoy the fights as the Hindus attacked. Not a single year passed without bloody events and mischievous tumults that broke out upon the killing of a cow as a religious sacrifice and which resulted in the massacre of hundreds, nay, thousands of Muslims. In order to kindle the mischief from both ends, they, on the one hand, spread among the Muslims the belief that killing one cow as a sacrifice would be more pious than killing seven sheep, and, on the other hand, they rumoured among the Hindus that rescuing their bovine gods from death would earn them a lot of rewards in the next world. This mischief of theirs continued after their withdrawal from India. We would like to exemplify this fact by relating an event written in a magazine entitled Ittila’at, which was published in Iran in the time of its Prime Minister Musaddiq.
On a day of Qurban (Eid of Sacrifice) two bearded Muslims wearing turbans and long robes bought a cow to kill as a sacrifice. As they were passing a Hindu quarter on their way home, a Hindu stopped them to ask them what they were going to do with the cow. When they said they were going to kill it as a sacrifice, the Hindu began to shout, “Hey, people! Help! These men are going to sacrifice our god.” And the two Muslims also shouted, “O Muslims! Help! These men are going to seize our sacrifice.” Hindus and Muslims gathered around the place and began to fight by using sticks and knives. Hundreds of Muslims were killed. Later, however, the two people who had been taking the cow through the Hindu quarter were seen disappearing into the British embassy. This comes to mean that this event was provoked by the British. The correspondent who relates this event adds, “We know how you spoiled Muslims’ day of Qurban.”
On a day of Qurban (Eid of Sacrifice) two bearded Muslims wearing turbans and long robes bought a cow to kill as a sacrifice. As they were passing a Hindu quarter on their way home, a Hindu stopped them to ask them what they were going to do with the cow. When they said they were going to kill it as a sacrifice, the Hindu began to shout, “Hey, people! Help! These men are going to sacrifice our god.” And the two Muslims also shouted, “O Muslims! Help! These men are going to seize our sacrifice.” Hindus and Muslims gathered around the place and began to fight by using sticks and knives. Hundreds of Muslims were killed. Later, however, the two people who had been taking the cow through the Hindu quarter were seen disappearing into the British embassy. This comes to mean that this event was provoked by the British. The correspondent who relates this event adds, “We know how you spoiled Muslims’ day of Qurban.”
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