Shaista Fatima/ New Delhi

It is not uncommon to see men advocating for and about women's rights but an alarming video has surfaced on the internet where a Muslim woman is seen being bullied and harassed by a stranger on the pretext of "religion".

In the video going viral on Twitter, a man clad in a white kurta pajama and skull cap is seen reprimanding a hijab-clad woman inside an apparel shop with another woman and a presumably non-Muslim man who is not seen in the video. 

The abusive man who is trying to be moral police is heard saying, "Call your brothers or your father and let's then see what the matter is", the woman says, "How can you stop me in the middle of the street and interfere in my personal matter".

Not to be cowed down the aggressive man goes on, "I will interfere, I have all the rights as a Muslim".

ईद की शॉपिंग के बहाने, माँ बाप की दी हुई आजादी का फायदा उठाते हुई गैरों के साथ घूमती हुई माँ बाप की लाडली।

और दो अपने बहन बेटियों को आजादी।
और जो कोई फिक्र मंद मुस्लिम लड़का टोकेगा तो धमकी देंगी।

मुर्तद होती जा रही लड़कियां। pic.twitter.com/JGCs9FVGVP

— Mohammad Tanvir تنوير (@TanveerPost) April 24, 2023

The video went viral when it was shared by the journalist Mohammad Tanvir who captioned the tweet as "Eid ki shopping ke bahane, Maa Baap ki di hui Azaadi ka faida uthate gairo ke sath Ghumti hui Maa Baap ki Laadli, Aur do apni Behen Betiyon ko Azaadi, aur koi fikarmand Muslim ladka tokega to dhamki dengi, murdat hoti ja rahi ladkiyan"  (Look at the girls taking undue advantage of the liberties given by their parents, they are loafing around with non-muslims men on the pretext of Eid shopping, the girls have turned into apostate)

While many women and some men netizens are outraged by public harassment and moral policing of the women in the video, most men have supported the man's act of moral policing.

Here's the thread of the conversation as it happened. 

Shame on the men for harassing the girls. And shame on you for sharing the video without blurring the identity of the girls. Do you do this kind of policing of Muslim men hanging around with na-mehrams? Or do you only sermonise women? And how can you call any Muslim an apostate?!

— Irena Akbar (@irenaakbar) April 25, 2023

Kya besharmi kar rahe hai yeh aadmi. Kisi ki himmat hogi ke woh mujhe road par roke? Jispe zor chal sakta hai wahan chalate hain. And aapko bhi sharam aani chahiye aise bolte hue. Sirf aur sirf aadmi bakwaas kar rahe hain aapke tweet par.

— Hana Mohsin Khan | هناء (@girlpilot_) April 25, 2023

yeh kya badtameezi hai?? yeh kya zor zabardasti hai bai? ladki kisi ke sath bhi bahar jaye, aise koi kese rokega aur tokega? and how dare you type this kind of quote, and why involve religion in this matter? Musalman hai toh kuch bhi karege?

— Shaista Fatima (@nsirajbhoomi) April 25, 2023

Bade hi besharam aadmi ho by God! How dare you uploaded the video of these girls? Tumse kya matlab. Mazhab bad mein seekhna pehle apni hadd dekho. Badtameez. https://t.co/AoxtliNe0w

— Rakhi Tripathi (@rakhitripathi) April 26, 2023

लानत हैं उन लोगों पर जिन्होंने इन लड़कियों को इस तरह से परेशान किया और यह विडियो बनाया। वो कौन होते हैं किसी के मामले में बोलने वाले? इन में और संघी दंगाइयों में कोई फर्क नहीं। दोनों महिलाओं को अपना ग़ुलाम समझते हैं।

— Yousuf Saeed (@saeedyousuf) April 25, 2023

मुसलमान लड़का है तो मुसलमान लड़कियों पर इसका अधिकार हो गया!
ऐसे ही हिंदुओं में से भी एक धड़े के लोगों को लगता है।

किसी भी धर्म में हों, औरतों को अपना गुलाम समझने वाले लोग देश और समाज के ऊपर दाग हैं।

— Neeraj Jha (@neeraj_jhaa) April 26, 2023

Kaun behuda bad tameez insaan ho jo bina consent ke 2 ladkiyon ki video social media per daal rahe ho, aur aapko kya matlab hai woh bhai ke saath hain ya friend ke saath ? Footage ke liye kisi ki izzat se mat kheliye.

— Sana (@farooquisana) April 25, 2023

Bhai Allah inko rahe rahe pe la aaye bs yahi dua kar sakte baki sab apne garo me dhayan do apne bahno betiyo ke sath jayo yahi behtar hai

— Chaudhary Altaf (@iasaltaf5) April 24, 2023

अरे कौन सी दुनिया के जर्नालिस्ट हो भाई?! इतनी निचली स्तर की सोच रखते हो! क्या मुसलमान लडकियां इतनी कमजोर हो गई हैं की उनको भाई, पिता या शौहर के सहारे ही जीना पड़ेगा?! आपमें और हिंदुत्ववादी में क्या फर्क रह गया है? दोनों ही औरतों पे कंट्रोल करना चाहते हैं। लानत है ऐसी सोच पे।

— Neelam Sumbrui (@neelamsumbrui) April 26, 2023

You can't say or ask any lady anything, literally anything in the middle of the road. That's jihalat, not the concern towards deen. You're not only harrassing her but defaming her as well by posting this video. People like you defame the rest. Delete this video immediately!

— Azharuddin Azhar | اظہر الدین اظہر (@thealigarhwalla) April 25, 2023

Bade hi besharam aadmi ho by God! How dare you uploaded the video of these girls? Tumse kya matlab. Mazhab bad mein seekhna pehle apni hadd dekho. Badtameez. https://t.co/AoxtliNe0w

— Rakhi Tripathi (@rakhitripathi) April 26, 2023

ये ज़लालत है। बदतमीज़ी और गुनाह। शर्म आनी चाहिए आपको। कौन होते हैं आप ये सवाल पूछने वाले? क्या फ़र्क़ है आप में और गुंडों में? किसने बनाया है आपको किसी भी लड़की का रक्षक?
आपके ख़िलाफ़ कार्यवाही होनी चाहिए। https://t.co/H3p8ru1LAk

— Sayema (@_sayema) April 26, 2023

While the source of the video is yet to be traced, it seems to be from a north Indian small town. The netizens are requesting the owners of the shop and the women in hijab to take legal action and file an FIR against the man for harassment and bullying.