Saudi Arabian looted in Mumbai; gang targeted 44 Arabs

[Sargon of Akkad]

there is little chance of you being at the receiving end of anti-muslim violence.. that does not happen everyday and usually the victims are poor muslims not rich.. and its localized.. ordinary people will think twice before attacking foreigner because police will find them.
most white tourists are not targetted, may be look like a backpacker.. grow a beard and long hair ...

I look Arab/Middle Eastern/Latino/Southern European. Same facial features as the majority of those groups of people. Black hair, eyes and olive skin etc. I am tall, above average in built and spot a light beard (those fashionable ones you can see everywhere in the world nowadays). When I travel abroad I don't wear traditional clothing at all so that should not be a problem.

I was just asking how safe it is for an tourist (Arab or not does not matter here as I do not believe that it makes any difference) to venture into the countryside of India where tourists are less prevalent.

Also should I, if I wanted to explore areas in India for myself or with a small group of family members or friends, try not to advertise that I am a foreigner? In other words keep a low profile?

I am mostly interested in visiting Southern India which I have heard is more developed and less prone to crime.

Whatever 'welcoming picture' Indians try to paint here, be warned that hate crimes are an everyday facet of Indian life - you could be targeted for your religion.. or your looks (if you like Middle Eastern or East Asian).

Here, take a look - they even target their own citizens for looking different:

Aljazeera: Hundreds protest in New Delhi after student who was beaten because of his ethnic appearance dies from his injuries.

The question here is, how prevalent is it?

There was a thread about a sadist/indian executed for murder in KSA,On that thread the sadists said a lot of racist and messed up things about Arabs.

Then there was another thread where a saudi embassador was walking his dog in india and he got attacked by a mob for no reason, on that thread none of the arab members here said anything about the sadists.

I do not believe that the 200 million Indian Muslims have anything against Arabs, rather the contrary in fact, and the Indian Hindus I know in the GCC have no such problems either.

Also on PDF you will have trolls among every nationality. Due to the sheer size of India's population, I have no doubt that they have more of such trolls/idiots/racists than most other people. Same as on PDF.

I am mostly interested in knowing about tourism in India, mainly Southern India, in regards to the questions that I have asked so far.

I know that many of you want to turn this into a Pakistan-India thing but I am not part of this battle currently, dear.

 

[Shardul.....the lion]

Its a robbery.... A criminal activity...

Their religion is money and will attack rich person be ur Hindu, muslim christian or any Afrikaans religion...


Pakistani are speaking on hate crime in India..

1.1 lakhs or 0.1 million Pakistanis visited India on proper Visa without any harm to them becos of their religion..
http://m.timesofindia.com/india/Record

I look Arab/Middle Eastern/Latino/Southern European. Same facial features as the majority of those groups of people. Black hair, eyes and olive skin etc. I am tall, above average in built and spot a light beard (those fashionable ones you can see everywhere in the world nowadays). When I travel abroad I don't wear traditional clothing at all so that should not be a problem.

I was just asking how safe it is for an tourist (Arab or not does not matter here as I do not believe that it makes any difference) to venture into the countryside of India where tourists are less prevalent.

Also should I, if I wanted to explore areas in India for myself or with a small group of family members or friends, try not to advertise that I am a foreigner? In other words keep a low profile?

I am mostly interested in visiting Southern India which I have heard is more developed and less prone to crime.

You and your family and friend will be safe...


Do not venture outside during night time...

Do not believe in strangers.. And do not eat any food from strangers...

 

[hkdas]

I have a idea of how many Pakistani's have been jailed in india, Do you?
You being here is proof enough that you and your countrymen are sadists.Since you don't have the privilege to torture random muslims or Pakistanis in real life,You turn to the internet to pollute our forums

do u have any idea about how many indians are in Pakistani jail?so according to you logic pakistan could be a sadistic country to put indians in jail??
do u know that indian have more than 24 million Muslim in india, and you think that in india they are being torture!!!?? you pakistanis have no idea about indian and you are trying to talk like an expert on the "problems in india".
just keep your imagination within you, no need to say it in here.. .. indians are doing more good things to pakistanis even when pakistan is supporting terrorism in india.
look at your own country, how many people are looted in your nation?? how many tourists are killed pakistan?

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

To the Indian members commenting in this thread. Have you ever met Arab, other Middle Eastern, European or East Asian tourists in person? I mean do you encounter tourists in your day-to-day dealings? Do most tourists that are visiting India sticking to resorts?

Do you feel that Arabs are specifically targeted or seen as a potential target? Are there areas in India where it is safer for Arabs/Muslims to visit than others? I mean are certain areas of India known to harbor anti-tourist sentiments in general?

Such questions, I am afraid, only Indians can ask and embassy staff would just tell you that almost everything is well and good and tell you to take the usual precautions.

Please answer honestly.

I have watched a few videos of Arab tourists visiting India (women traveling together, men traveling alone or together in groups, families, tourist groups, exchanges related to students etc.) but most of them are staying at resorts or traveling in tourist groups.

People such as those two Arab women below:

Or this Arab couple:

I have not watched a single video of people traveling on their own or in small groups in the countryside.

I know that most Arabs are visiting Kerala and nearby areas of India.

Please help me out here as I am curious and be honest. All countries and people have faults remember this.

 

[Indika]

Is it safe for Arab/ME tourists to visit India? Will people attack you because you are an Arab and Muslim?

Any one who is flashy and looks rich will make easy target. Thief will half bother whether you are from ME or USA. Money is all it counts. Whether it is tourists or locals, should always stick to places where there is more ppl presence. Visiting any place not frequent by ppl requires more caution.

 

[Gregor Clegane]

@maria la

Actually a Saudi diplomat got robbed and murdered in your country.

httpwwwcnncom/2012/03/06/world/asia/saudi-diplomat-killed-bangladesh/

 

[X-2.]

Saudi Arabian looted in Mumbai; gang targeted 44 Arabs ​

MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN | Published — Monday 15 August 2016

Indian police stand guard in Mumbai, in this file photo. (AFP)​

RIYADH: Police in Mumbai have broken up a crime ring that robbed foreign tourists, arresting four key members including the gang leader who is named in over 40 theft cases.
The ring, which operated in mostly in south Mumbai, is suspected to have targeted 44 Arab visitors in the past few years.
The arrests came after the mugging of 70-year-old Saudi Hussain Ali Mubarak, whose tour of prominent locations turned into a nightmare.
Mubarak arrived in Mumbai on Aug. 4 and the following day he visited top tourist spots. After taking dinner at a popular restaurant, he hailed a taxi to go back to his hotel. The cab driver suddenly changed the route and took Mubarak to a dark lane. “I soon realized that something was wrong,” Mubarak said.
Six men dragged him out of the taxi and thrashed him before snatching 87,000 Indian rupees and SR6,000 from him. They abandoned him on the road and drove off.
A 40-strong police team was formed which nabbed the driver identified as 31-year-old Bhimrao Ratan Kale.
Kale revealed the names of the other thugs. Gang leader Ganesh Pawar and other suspects were arrested, and part of the cash — 85,000 Rupees and SR1,900 — was recovered. The arrests were made within 48 hours of the incident.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/970056/saudi-arabia

The Indian authorities should do everything in their power to prevent similar unfortunate incidents from occurring again as Arabs traveling to South Asia (India mainly) are usually very wealthy and a good business for the local tourism sector. Such instances might also scare them away.

The Indian authorities should not forget about the huge number of wealthy Arab tourists and the sheer number of Arabs (450 million - a number that will increase significantly btw). In the future the enormous Arab middle class will become wealthier and they might choose to pick India (which is not located that far away) as their tourist destination more often.

Many habibies visit India to Hv reasonable fun

 

[Indika]

Most likely, if you look like an Arab.

and have a camel with you.

do u have any idea about how many indians are in Pakistani jail?so according to you logic pakistan could be a sadistic country to put indians in jail??
do u know that indian have more than 24 million Muslim in india, and you think that in india they are being torture!!!?? you pakistanis have no idea about indian and you are trying to talk like an expert on the "problems in india".
just keep your imagination within you, no need to say it in here.. .. indians are doing more good things to pakistanis even when pakistan is supporting terrorism in india.
look at your own country, how many people are looted in your nation?? how many tourists are killed pakistan?

there are horrible trolls and you are engaging them. I would say avoid feeding the sickos.

 

[GuardianRED]

To the Indian members commenting in this thread. Have you ever met Arab, other Middle Eastern, European or East Asian tourists in person? I mean do you encounter tourists in your day-to-day dealings? Do most tourists that are visiting India sticking to resorts?

Do you feel that Arabs are specifically targeted or seen as a potential target? Are there areas in India where it is safer for Arabs/Muslims to visit than others? I mean are certain areas of India known to harbor anti-tourist sentiments in general?

Such questions, I am afraid, only Indians can ask and embassy staff would just tell you that almost everything is well and good and tell you to take the usual precautions.

Please answer honestly.

I have watched a few videos of Arab tourists visiting India (women traveling together, men traveling alone or together in groups, families, tourist groups, exchanges related to students etc.) but most of them are staying at resorts or traveling in tourist groups.

People such as those two Arab women below:

Or this Arab couple:

I have not watched a single video of people traveling on their own or in small groups in the countryside.

I know that most Arabs are visiting Kerala and nearby areas of India.

Please help me out here as I am curious and be honest.

I have met an Arab couple in Bangalore asking for directions and many Arabs (mostly from Lebanon) Study in Bangalore. They didn't have any issues

Your own embassy will take your travel seriously - so im sure when they say its alright - IT IS alright!

Suggestion, is to try to contact the ppl in the videos you posted , maybe they will give u some answers.

Apart from India! where else have u traveled? What precautions have u taken there?

 

[Indika]

To the Indian members commenting in this thread. Have you ever met Arab, other Middle Eastern, European or East Asian tourists in person? I mean do you encounter tourists in your day-to-day dealings? Do most tourists that are visiting India sticking to resorts?

Do you feel that Arabs are specifically targeted or seen as a potential target? Are there areas in India where it is safer for Arabs/Muslims to visit than others? I mean are certain areas of India known to harbor anti-tourist sentiments in general?

Such questions, I am afraid, only Indians can ask and embassy staff would just tell you that almost everything is well and good and tell you to take the usual precautions.

Please answer honestly.

I have watched a few videos of Arab tourists visiting India (women traveling together, men traveling alone or together in groups, families, tourist groups, exchanges related to students etc.) but most of them are staying at resorts or traveling in tourist groups.

People such as those two Arab women below:

Or this Arab couple:

I have not watched a single video of people traveling on their own or in small groups in the countryside.

I know that most Arabs are visiting Kerala and nearby areas of India.

Please help me out here as I am curious and be honest. All countries and people have faults remember this.

@Indika @hinduguy @SrNair @Gregor Clegane @Shardul.....the lion @hkdas @GuardianRED @Levina

avoid the troll comments from pakistani & bangladeshi who themselves dont stay in their own country. They have their own axe to grind.
you can get feedback from your own countrymen who are businessmen or students. It will be better if you contact Saudi embassy in India for good advice.
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-students-search-seats-indian-universities

 

[Maira La]

The question here is, how prevalent is it?

You can get the stats from Indian police only. But there are safer places to visit that can offer the same tropical atmosphere that South India offers - like SE Asia.

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

I have met an Arab couple in Bangalore asking for directions and many Arabs (mostly from Lebanon) Study in Bangalore. They didn't have any issues

Your own embassy will take your travel seriously - so im sure when they say its alright - IT IS alright!

Suggestion, is to try to contact the ppl in the videos you posted , maybe they will give u some answers.

Apart from India! where else have u traveled? What precautions have u taken there?

That is encouraging to hear.

I know how your average embassy staff work. Especially if Arab or South Asian. They will usually only tell you about something if it is really necessary.
I prefer to ask ordinary people on a forum like this one that has Indian users from all across India and all types of backgrounds. But of course I would visit if I was traveling to India.

Actually those people in those two videos visited Kerala and stayed at resorts. I know people who have done so personally and I would be more interested to travel with a few family members or friends on my own for say 10 days or two weeks. 1 week at some resort (if absolutely necessary) and at least 10 days to explore nearby regions on your own. I am thinking about visiting South India and there are a few places that I have been thinking of visiting. Hyderabad (visiting the Yemeni quarter and the Nizams (his family apparently has paternal Arab ancestry), the earliest mosques build outside of the Arabian Peninsula (located in Southern India), Kerala, Goa and other interesting historical sites.

I would also like to visit some ordinary people in some village. I always like to visit the common man and woman whenever I travel abroad whenever I can. That is authentic travel instead of sitting in some boring resort. I can do that next door in UAE or Oman if I want to.

I have travelled extensively in the Arab world, ME, most of Europe, North America, many countries in Latin America, China, Malaysia and safari in South Africa (one of my most memorable trips btw). So I am an experienced traveller considering my age but I am yet to visit that region of the world. So I thought about visiting. I want to visit Pakistan one day as well. Especially the North of Pakistan (Gilgit). Hell, I would even travel to Afghanistan just to experience something new. And I know what you guys are thinking currently after hearing that.

But of course if I get robbed instantly if I venture outside of say Hyderabad in the span of seconds I rather not travel at all obviously. Similarly I would never visit Venezuela currently or Mexico. Nor Brazil again.

 

[HttpError]

I am asking because I hear about gangs attacking Arab, other Middle Eastern and Western tourists from time to time. Given the Pakistani/Bangladeshi-Indian hostility that hostility might be felt by other Muslims not from South Asia who are visiting.

Arab/ME people usually do look differently than South Asian people so we would usually be unable to blend in although it it easier for us to do so than say a Westerner or Chinese.

Yeah you people are blue eyed, blond hair and average height of 6.3. It certainly must be very hard for you to blend in.

 

[GuardianRED]

That is encouraging to hear.

I know how your average embassy staff work. They will usually only tell you about something if it is really necessary.
I prefer to ask ordinary people on a forum like this one that has Indian users from all across India and all types of backgrounds. But of course I would visit if I was traveling to India.

Actually those people in those two videos visited Kerala and stayed at resorts. I know people who have done so personally and I would be more interested to travel with a few family members or friends on my own for say 10 days or two weeks. 1 week at some resort and at least 10 days to explore nearby regions on your own. I am thinking about visiting South India and there are a few places that I have been thinking of visiting. Hyderabad (visiting the Yemeni neighborhood) and the Nizams (his family apparently has paternal Arab ancestry), the earliest mosques build outside of the Arabian Peninsula (located in Southern India), Kerala, Goa and other interesting historical sites.

I would also like to visit some ordinary people in some village. I always like to visit the common man whenever I travel abroad whenever I can. That is authentic travel instead of sitting in some boring resort. I can do that next door in UAE or Oman if I want to.

I have travelled extensively in the Arab world, ME, most of Europe, North America, many countries in Latin America, China, Malaysia and safari in South Africa (one of my most memorable trips btw). So I am an experienced traveller considering my age but I am yet to visit that region of the world. So I thought about visiting. I want to visit Pakistan one day as well. Especially the North of Pakistan (Gilgit). Hell, I would even travel to Afghanistan just to experience something new. And I know what you guys are thinking currently after hearing that.

Pal ... U have Really -Living a Great Life with Great Memories , Truly happy for U

Since u have traveled extensively, what planning and precaution you have taken, is similar to India!

Happy Travels

 

[Sargon of Akkad]

Yeah you people are blue eyed, blond hair and average height of 6.3. It certainly must be very hard for you to blend in.

You did not get the point. The average Arab would obviously stick out in Southern India. I don't even know why this is necessary to point out. Even more so if that person is a tourist.

Simiarily in Pakistan and it has nothing to do with skin color but facial features, you being an apparent tourist etc. Also thank God, I have not light hair, eyes or skin as I consider those features to be ugly. But I am actually 194 cm tall. In shoes, lol. You guessed that.

Do you think that I would blend in, in say Peshawar as a tourist visiting for the first time? Would a Pakistani blend in, in some village in Southern KSA? You already have your answer and the answer is no in both places.