India: Muslims slaughter pregnant cow in Hindu temple compound

from People of Shambala:

India: Muslims slaughter pregnant cow in Hindu temple compound Posted: 21 Jan 2012 11:52 AM PST Krishna sitting with a cow. The cow is regarded as a sacred animal in Hinduism. A tense atmosphere has prevailed in Perumbavoor, a satellite town of Kochi city and a municipality in the Indian state of Kerala, after a group of Muslims slaughtered a pregnant cow inside the compound of the Sree Dharma Sastha late Tuesday afternoon. The perpetrators slit the cow's throat. Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, and killing them is prohibited. The killing of the pregnant cow inside the temple compound was a deliberate act of sacrilege designed to provoke local Hindus. A member of the Sree Dharma Sastha temple committee is reported to have said, “If they wanted the cow for meat they could have simply stolen it. That they committed the heinous act right in front of the temple has only one explanation – their intention was perhaps to create trouble." Three taluks (administrative subdivisions) of Ernakulam district (Muvattupuzha, Kunnathunadu and Kothamangalam) observed a dawn-to-dusk shutdown on Wednesday after calls from Hindu organizations and Sangh Pariwar outfits. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti reports "the shutdown affected normal life in all the three taluks. Incidents of mild stone-pelting were reported from some places. The police had on Tuesday itself taken three persons – Muhammad (49), his son Anas (23) and Razid (18) – into custody in connection with the cow-slaughter. One person managed to flee the scene." Hindu Janajagruti Samiti also says that "As per police reports, Perumbavoor and the surrounding areas have witnessed a rise in Islamist operations recently." The Hindu website says The place is just 25 km away from Muvattupuzha, where activists of Islamist organization Popular Front of India had cut off the right hand of a college professor on July 4, 2010 alleging that he had blasphemed Prophet Muhammad through a test paper for students. The sacrilegious act of cow-slaughter took place late Tuesday afternoon after the three Muslims reached the temple compound pretending that they wanted to give medicine to the cow which had developed some health problems two days ago. The cow had wandered into the temple area about two weeks ago.