Coimbatore’s cybercrime police have detained a YouTuber following the viral spread of a controversial ‘Hijab Challenge’ video. Filmed at the Coimbatore racecourse, the video featured a woman in a burqa approaching young Hindu women, asking them to try on hijabs and capturing their reactions. The provocative footage, which sparked widespread backlash, led to a formal complaint and the subsequent arrest of Anas Ahmed, the channel owner.
On 3 September 2024, in a video titled ‘Hijab Challenge,’ a woman clad in a full burqa approached young women walking in the area and asked if they would like to try on a hijab, capturing them and sharing it on social media. This YouTube video sparked severe criticism.
Following a complaint lodged by Kumaresan from the Ganapati area, the YouTuber channel Anas Ahmed was taken into custody by the cybercrime authorities.
சர்ச்சைக்குரிய பெண் யூடியூபர் கைது
கோவை ரேஸ் கோர்ஸ் நடைபாதையில் பெண்களுக்கு ஹிஜாப் அணிவித்து, சர்ச்சைக்குரிய வீடியோ எடுத்து சமூக வலை தளங்களில் பதிவிட்ட பெண் யூடியூபரை சைபர் கிரைம் போலீசார் கைது செய்து சிறையில் அடைத்தனர்#coimbatore | #youtuber #Hijab #Police #Kovai #tamiljanam pic.twitter.com/9nD6AU9iJk
— Tamil Janam (@TamilJanam_TV) September 7, 2024
Al Kaswa, a Tamil YouTube channel devoted to spreading the ‘message of Islam’ to its viewers, has a sister channel named Kaswa TV Exclusive. In a video that has gone viral on social media, the host, Binth Hanifa, states she is from al Kaswa TV and asks women and young girls on the streets of Tamil Nadu (it is not clear which part of the state) to participate in a Hijab challenge.
Hanifa herself covered completely from head to toe – including gloves and whatnot, whose eyes alone are visible, tells the participants to wear a hijab. She makes them curious to find out how they look wearing Islamic attire.
Right on the footpath and in the public glare, she makes the women, mostly Hindus, wear the hijab and burka. At the end of each such challenge, she tells the girl/woman, “You look very cute, you look really nice with this transformation.” She also tells some of them, “You look very neat wearing the hijab, it fits you well.”
The girls, over-enthused by the appreciation, thank Hanifa and she shows them how they look after the “transformation“.
After showing them how they look, Hanifa asks them how they feel. One of them said, “I feel good. I have always wanted to try this on, but this is my first time.” Another girl said, “I look like a Muslim girl.”
In one instance, the girl’s mother participating in the al Kaswa “challenge” is also right next to her. Hanifa proceeds to ask the mother how she feels about it. The mother says, “It is very beautiful; it suits her well. I am so happy to see this.”
Hanifa then (in what seems like gaslighting) makes her audience tell her that the attire is nice and that the participants are feeling good about wearing the hijab. Notably, one of the girls wearing a bindi has it removed after wearing the hijab.
The video has now been set to private by the owners of the YouTube channel.
(With Inputs From Thanthi TV)
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