Stop committing this Gunah’: Islamists attack Pakistani cricketer for wishing Holi to Hindus

As soon as Dahani offered his Holi greetings to the Hindu community, he faced a flood of critical comments. Detractors labeled Holi as a festival for infidels, forbidden (Haram), and demanded that he remove his tweet.

When Pakistani fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani extended his Holi greetings to the Hindu community, he was not prepared for the backlash that followed from Islamist Twitter users. Despite his good intentions, Dahani faced a barrage of criticism and negative comments for his tweet, in which he wished everyone who believes in love, peace, happiness, colors, and celebrations a happy Holi. Hi tweet is –  “To all the lovely people around the world, who believe in love, peace, happiness, Colors & celebrations. I wish you Happy Holi!#HappyHoli“

After offering his Holi wishes to the Hindu community, the individual in question faced a barrage of comments condemning the act of extending Holi greetings. The critics labeled Holi as a festival for infidels and considered it Haram, or forbidden, and demanded that the tweet be removed. One Twitter user even went so far as to declare that Holi was Haram and considered it a sin to extend wishes for such an occasion.

It is hardly shocking to see such reactions, as this has been a common occurrence for as long as anyone can recall. OpIndia previously reported on a similar incident involving Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam, who faced backlash from Islamist factions for his Holi greetings. One individual, Rizwan, even went so far as to claim that Azam would be barred from playing in the Pakistani cricket league (PSL) as a result of his message to Hindus on Holi.

The hateful messages did not cease with one or two comments, as many others flooded his timeline with similar sentiments. One particularly radical user expressed their disapproval in Urdu and reminded Shahnawaz of his Muslim identity, stating that it was not permissible for a Muslim to extend wishes on Holi. This individual considered it regrettable that the cricketer had done so, adding to the chorus of criticism.

A similar tweet came from another user named Qasim Afridi, who questioned Shahnawaz on his Muslim credentials.

A Twitter user in rather dictatorial words claimed that “as Muslims, we can’t celebrate Holi”

The roots of animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism run deep in Pakistan’s collective consciousness, as evidenced by incidents such as Bazid Khan’s celebration of India’s defeat during the T20 World Cup. As an International Cricket Council (ICC) presenter, Khan’s use of the term ‘kufr’ during an official ceremony drew widespread condemnation. This deep-seated hatred towards Hindus and Hindu culture is reflected in the critical comments made on Twitter, which are but minor manifestations of a larger issue.

News Source – https://www.opindia.com/2023/03/islamists-attack-pakistani-cricketer-for-wishing-holi-to-hindus/