H.Farooq, an atheist from Tamil Nadu, was killed by a mob allegedly of a radical muslim group 10 days ago. Farooq's father, R Hameed is now contemplating joining his son's organisation and 'do what he did'.
Hameed, a 54-year-old who is working as a caretaker of a private guest house, told The Indian Express that if his son was killed for his views, he would too become an atheist.
“If the police version is true, that he was murdered by a radical Muslim group, then they killed my son using wrong interpretations of the Quran. The Quran is one holy book that insists on and allows the right of dissent since the time of the Prophet. If they killed him for being an atheist, I have decided to join his organisation and do what he did.", he said.
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Farooq was a member of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK). He was running a whatsapp group ‘Allahu Murdhath' which had about 400 members. 31-year-old Farook had got members from various districts on Tamil Nadu in the group. The police officers investigating the murder said the gang wanted him to shut down the WhatsApp group, most of whose members were inspired by the rationalist ideology advocated by Periyar.
Struggling with the untimely death of his elder son, Hameed told the newspaper that although, Farooq had his own 'assertive' beliefs, he didn't impose them on anyone, not even his wife.
"He wouldn’t attend family functions as he would have had to pray there. I did not know that he was part of a movement for a long period. But my wife used to tell me to leave him alone as he never imposed his views on others, even his wife Rasheeda. He respected others.”
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On March 16, the 31-year-old was hacked to death, 15 days after he posted a photo of one of his children holding a placard with the handwritten slogan “Kadavul illai, Kadavul illai, Kadavul illai (No God, No God, No God)”.
