There has been a surge of Islamophobic and sexual comments against Kashmiri women of the Muslim community by right-wing handlers on social media platforms, post the deadly Pahalgam terror attacks that killed 26 people.
Several Hindutva accounts are openly calling for rape and violence against Kashmiri Muslim women, raising serious safety concerns, mainly students, residing in different parts of the country.
On April 26, an X user who goes by the name Ben Dover (@nortjesznn) and has a display picture of former South African cricketer AB de Villiers initially posted a seemingly supportive message offering shelter for those targeted by religious hate crime.
His message read, “Any Kashmiri girl feeling threatened in Delhi can come to my house at night. You will be safe and well hosted. A divided India will lose; a united India will win and thrive.”
Read further and one realises the hate Ben Dover garners against the Muslim community. “But I can’t guarantee if she will be alive after spending a night with me,” read his message, adding, “Hijabis are my priority.”
According to Grok AI, the user hails from Uttarakhand, reported Maktoob Media.
Many condemned his misogynistic objectification of Kashmiri Muslim women comments, calling him “a sick mentality.”
A user, @Isra44945572, condemned those making such threats, saying, “All this attack has done is expose the monsters, rapists, and genocidal maniacs in the open. And these are the ones who think they have the right to be angry at the terrorists? You are the same, if not worse.”
Another user, @sohailmd123, wrote, “Never prove your patriotism for this godforsaken country. Hindutva social media in India is just a scaled model of reality… There are nearly 5,000 likes agreeing with this rape threat and the sexualization of Muslim women, with dung-eating tards making jokes out of it.”
Similarly, @bibliophile890 described the hateful behavior as a “common characteristic of a rapist mindset — sick-minded, illiterate, unemployed people.”
Highlighting the larger political environment, @AAhmad105 added, “This predator mindset isn’t fringe — it’s fed, protected, and thriving in Modi’s India.”
Ben Dover remained unfazed and said he did not care.
Interestingly, the user Ben Dover is no longer available on X.
Kashmiri students are facing a wave of targeted harassment and violence across India. There are reports of them being told to vacate hostels and rented houses in states like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) reported numerous cases of abuse, intimidation, and physical attacks against Kashmiri students across various states, prompting concerns for their safety and well-being.
