Hitman
Senior T20I Player
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2013
- Runs
- 19,311
Popular YouTuber Saleem Wastik, an ex-Muslim who appeared on several shows, is battling for life in hospital after being stabbed repeatedly in the neck and abdomen by two men on Friday. The men entered Wastik's home in Ghaziabad's Loni area, launched the murderous attack and fled.
Though most ex-Muslims live a double life, without divulging that they have renounced Islam, Saleem Wastik was known for expressing his critical views in public. He ran two YouTube channels and appeared on TV shows. His YouTube channel, with 179 videos, has 28.4K subscribers.
The two assailants, who came on a bike, entered Wastik's Ashok Vihar Colony under Loni Police Station area of Ghaziabad on Friday morning. The two didn't remove their helmets, and launched a murderous attack on Wastik, plunging their knives into his neck and abdomen.
Wastik was first taken to a nearby hospital but was then referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi as his condition became critical. Sources in the hospital told India Today TV that his condition is "extremely serious".
Several outfits and people are linking the attack on Saleem Wastik to his being an ex-Muslim and his views that were critical of Islam. Police, however, aren't jumping to any conclusions even as they scan CCTV footage and probe the attack.
"I did not see them, I did not see how many times they struck or where they struck. I did not see who they were. The police came at around 8 am. An ambulance had come to take him [to the hospital]," an associate of Salim, hiding her face with a scarf, told India Today TV's Mayank Gaur.
Millions of people across the globe have switched or altogether left their religions, according to Pew Research. However, leaving Islam in a Muslim nation or a country with a sizeable population, like India, comes at a great risk.
That's because Islam, unlike other religions, doesn't permit apostasy, the act of leaving one's faith. In some countries, apostasy is punishable by death.
There are claims on social media that a person operating an Instagram account under the handle "official_m3hdi_" carried out the attack on Saleem. The claims stem from messages posted in an exclusive group called "Muslim Army", where the user allegedly wrote, "Saleem ex-Muslim ko hospital pohocha diya. Video chaahiye full?"
India Today Digital verified that an account with this handle exists. However, it could not independently verify the authenticity of the group or the message allegedly posted there, in which a video of the attack was allegedly posted.
Saleem Wastik, in October, discussed ex-Muslim Sahil, who returned to Islam to fulfil his mother's last wishes and bury her.
In the last five years, Sahil had emerged as one of the most prominent activists of the Ex-Muslim movement globally, a list that includes names like Maryam Namazie, Zafar Heretic, Harris Sultan, Adam Seeker, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali among others.
Ex-Muslim Sahil posted about the attack on Salim Wastik on his YouTube channel, which has almost six lakh subscribers. "It was a brutal attack. There were reports that he succumbed to his injuries, but this isn't true," Ex-Muslim Sahil said in the video, adding that his condition was critical.
"Very distressed from hearing about the brutal attack on Saleem Wastik. He was one of my biggest inspirations in speaking about the truth of my religious tradition that was obscured by Maulvis, in confronting the radicals within my community head on. Pray that he makes it alive," posted activist Puneet Sahani on X.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...condition-serious-hospital-2875616-2026-02-27
Though most ex-Muslims live a double life, without divulging that they have renounced Islam, Saleem Wastik was known for expressing his critical views in public. He ran two YouTube channels and appeared on TV shows. His YouTube channel, with 179 videos, has 28.4K subscribers.
The two assailants, who came on a bike, entered Wastik's Ashok Vihar Colony under Loni Police Station area of Ghaziabad on Friday morning. The two didn't remove their helmets, and launched a murderous attack on Wastik, plunging their knives into his neck and abdomen.
Wastik was first taken to a nearby hospital but was then referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi as his condition became critical. Sources in the hospital told India Today TV that his condition is "extremely serious".
Several outfits and people are linking the attack on Saleem Wastik to his being an ex-Muslim and his views that were critical of Islam. Police, however, aren't jumping to any conclusions even as they scan CCTV footage and probe the attack.
"I did not see them, I did not see how many times they struck or where they struck. I did not see who they were. The police came at around 8 am. An ambulance had come to take him [to the hospital]," an associate of Salim, hiding her face with a scarf, told India Today TV's Mayank Gaur.
Millions of people across the globe have switched or altogether left their religions, according to Pew Research. However, leaving Islam in a Muslim nation or a country with a sizeable population, like India, comes at a great risk.
That's because Islam, unlike other religions, doesn't permit apostasy, the act of leaving one's faith. In some countries, apostasy is punishable by death.
There are claims on social media that a person operating an Instagram account under the handle "official_m3hdi_" carried out the attack on Saleem. The claims stem from messages posted in an exclusive group called "Muslim Army", where the user allegedly wrote, "Saleem ex-Muslim ko hospital pohocha diya. Video chaahiye full?"
India Today Digital verified that an account with this handle exists. However, it could not independently verify the authenticity of the group or the message allegedly posted there, in which a video of the attack was allegedly posted.
Saleem Wastik, in October, discussed ex-Muslim Sahil, who returned to Islam to fulfil his mother's last wishes and bury her.
In the last five years, Sahil had emerged as one of the most prominent activists of the Ex-Muslim movement globally, a list that includes names like Maryam Namazie, Zafar Heretic, Harris Sultan, Adam Seeker, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali among others.
Ex-Muslim Sahil posted about the attack on Salim Wastik on his YouTube channel, which has almost six lakh subscribers. "It was a brutal attack. There were reports that he succumbed to his injuries, but this isn't true," Ex-Muslim Sahil said in the video, adding that his condition was critical.
"Very distressed from hearing about the brutal attack on Saleem Wastik. He was one of my biggest inspirations in speaking about the truth of my religious tradition that was obscured by Maulvis, in confronting the radicals within my community head on. Pray that he makes it alive," posted activist Puneet Sahani on X.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...condition-serious-hospital-2875616-2026-02-27
