Kerala DGP Sheikh Dervesh Sahib issued a stern warns against spreading rumours and engaging in fake campaigns over the Kalamassery blasts.
The Jewish synagogue at Mattancherry
Going by legend, the Jews of Kochi in Kerala could trace their roots back to the time of King Solomon. Trade and commerce brought them to Kerala, and most of them lived at Mattancherry, a seaside business town south of the Kochi port.
Neglected synagogues and cemeteries can be found in the area, where Jews are now a minuscule community of little more than two dozen people. Such abandoned structure can also be seen in Paravur, Mala, and Kodungallur
The Jewish community of Mattancherry, which once had over 8,000 households, now has only 26 members.
Kalamassery, on the other hand, is a growing educational and residential hub north of Kochi, with no history of mixing with foreign cultures.
Located 28 km from Mattancherry, Kalamassery has no Jewish population and has nothing to do with Israel.
Kalamassery, one of the largest manufacturing centres of the former public sector giant Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT), is now at the centre of a fraudulent social media campaign after the series of blasts at a prayer meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Sunday, 29 October.
Though authorities, including the National Investigative Agency (NIA), are yet to identify those responsible for the blast that killed a woman and injured 52 others, social media is witnessing a misinformation campaign, saying the target was the Jews in Kalamassery.
The hatemongers claimed the explosion was a premeditated experiment against the backdrop of Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
The campaigners also mentioned former Hamas leader Khaled Mashal’s attendance via video conferencing at a Palestine solidarity gathering held in Kerala’s Muslim-dominant Malappuram district the other day.
The attempt is to project the explosion as part of jihad.
Four coordinated blasts rock Kerala where Jews live in Kalamassery, Kochi, Kerala.
This comes day after Former Hamas chief terrorist Khaled Meshaal surfaced in Kerala to make virtual address at a pro-Palestine rally in Malappuram.
As per reports 1 person is killed and 23 persons… pic.twitter.com/VzZcSjTq31— The Story Teller (@I_am_the_Story) October 29, 2023
Even though Jehovah’s Witnesses are an insular Christian sect and have nothing in common with the Jews, numerous internet campaigners attempted to portray the assembly at Kalamassery as a Jewish prayer gathering.
The Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses share nothing but the name, Jehovah, for their god.
Jews follow Prophet Moses, while Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are Christians, follow Jesus Christ. The cult believes that Jesus is God’s son.
Contrary to the popular denominations of the Christian church, the Jehovah’s Witnesses also contend that the concept of clergy is inappropriate and that there should be no religious hierarchy.
Both Christianity and the Jewish communities have clergies comprising rabbis, bishops, and priests.
Curiously, the cult forbids blood transfusions by mouth or vein. This extends to allowing someone in need of blood to die while refusing a transfusion. Jews, on the other hand, firmly believe in saving lives and donating blood when necessary. As a result, in Judaism, if a blood transfusion is deemed medically necessary, it is acceptable.
One of the primary aspects of the Jewish intellectual framework is their belief in an afterlife, and the concept of Hell is a crucial part of that framework. Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, also believe in it.
However, the cult rejects the reality of Hell. It is intriguing because even their books mention eternal punishment and suffering for people who don’t act right.
The Jewish faith places high value on the geographical significance of their forebears’ homeland, Israel, and this has resulted in modern-day issues.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not appear to have any religious links to a specific geographical region.
The most noticeable distinction between the two religions is that Judaism is a completely separate religion, whereas Jehovah’s Witnesses is an offshoot of Christianity and is heavily influenced by Christian religious ideas.
Jehovah’s Witnesses began in the US in the 1870s as a student movement that was an offshoot of Christianity, but Judaism extends back more than two thousand years to the time of Moses.
Meanwhile, Kerala DGP Sheikh Dervesh Sahib issued a warning against hatemongering in the aftermath of the Kalamassery incident.
According to him, investigations are moving quickly thanks to the coordinated efforts of many central and state government agencies, and the truth will be revealed soon.
He stated that authorities are actively monitoring rumour-mongering on social media and that harsh action would be taken against anyone who attempts to divide communities by spreading false information.
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