‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign spreads across India after police crackdown
Muslims across India launch ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign after police crackdown, accusing authorities of criminalizing Islamic devotion
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A campaign declaring “I Love Muhammad” is gaining momentum across India after police in the state of Uttar Pradesh filed criminal cases against Muslims for displaying the slogan during a religious procession earlier this month.
According to Maktoob Media, the Kanpur police booked multiple participants under charges of disturbing communal harmony after a banner with the phrase was carried during Eid Milad un Nabi . The move drew outrage from scholars and rights groups, who called the expression of devotion to Prophet Muhammad a matter of faith, not a provocation.
In the city of Bareilly, imams urged worshippers to paste posters with the slogan on their homes after Friday prayers, describing the campaign as both an affirmation of belief and a peaceful protest. Religious leaders told congregants that love for the Prophet was central to Muslim identity and could not be curtailed by state action.
The campaign has since spread to other cities. In Mumbai’s Mumbra neighborhood, crowds rallied despite heavy rain, while in Gujarat, police publicly paraded Muslim youths who had posted reels with the phrase. One man was reportedly beaten in custody, sparking protests and mass arrests.
Community figures argue the state is selectively criminalising Islamic expressions of faith while leaving Hindu nationalist symbols untouched. “Since when has expressing love for our Prophet become a crime?” asked cleric Maulana Amir Miyan in Bareilly, accusing authorities of double standards.
The controversy has spilled onto social media, where thousands have changed profile pictures and shared digital posters echoing the slogan. Political leaders have also joined in: MP Asaduddin Owaisi, head of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, wrote on X that he was prepared to face punishment for declaring “I Love Muhammad.”
Observers say the campaign reflects deeper tensions in India, where Hindutva politics has increasingly pushed to police Muslim identity — from targeting mosques and madrasas to criminalising cattle trade and religious gatherings.
Activists warn that treating displays of Islamic devotion as security threats risks further marginalising Muslims, while also eroding India’s constitutional protections of religious freedom.
What began as a response to one police case in Uttar Pradesh has now become a nationwide assertion. From placards in mosques to hashtags online, Muslims across India are rallying around a single declaration — that devotion to Prophet Muhammad is beyond the reach of the state.
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