Today, Digital Guruji is with Saleem Choudhary, founder of UAARC group, also a social worker who is fighting against hatred and venomous posts on social media.
Saleem Choudhary Interview
Digital Guruji : What made you start the United Against Anti-Religious Content Facebook group?
Saleem Choudhary : I had always wanted to end the hatred against religions from this world. So this is what made me start the group. I figured why not search and find such fake accounts that spread hatred and enmity among us and get them suspended. So I started the group and I’ve received a very good response.
Digital Guruji : Tell us a bit about yourself.
Saleem Choudhary : Hello everyone, I am Saleem Choudhary, founder of UAARC group and I am from Surankote district, Poonch in Jammu. I completed my schooling from Surankote, and received my graduate degree in Civil Engineering from Himachal Pradesh Technical University. Currently, I am pursuing my M.A in Economics.
Digital Guruji : Do you have a team working for UAARC or do you work alone?
Saleem Choudhary : Actually, UAARC “United Against Anti- Religious content” is more like a family with over 15,000 active members. However, Tahir Kassana, who is also the co-founder of the group, is a significant contributor to the activities of UAARC.
Digital Guruji : What are the challenges you faced in the beginning?
Saleem Choudhary : The first challenge was to find such accounts and profiles that were spreading religious hatred online. We tried and were eventually successful. Now, we are planning to launch our own website which we hope would get us better results and solve our difficulties.
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Digital Guruji : What are your goals for the future of the “United Against Anti- Religious content” group?
Saleem Choudhary : There is only one goal, to remove hatred from the world.
Digital Guruji : How does a normal day in your life look like?
SC: It’s almost a full time occupation with UAARC. I normally spend 18 hours a day in approving and reporting posts and have to manage a lot of things. I usually go to sleep at 3 in the night and get up 8 to begin another day.
Digital Guruji : How do you manage your time?
Saleem Choudhary : I don’t have any particular plan for time management. I spend most of my time managing the UAARC group and in readying our website.
Digital Guruji : How supportive are your friends and family regarding your online work?
Saleem Choudhary : My friends have been there to support me but my family has always been supportive of my activities.
Digital Guruji : Do you have a girlfriend?
Saleem Choudhary : I never thought about relationships because it seemed irrelevant.
Digital Guruji : Who is your ideal?
Saleem Choudhary : I am not going to hurt many by taking only one name because there are so many people in my life who I consider to be my ideal.
Digital Guruji : How did you come up with the name for UAARC for this group?
Saleem Choudhary : UAARC “United Against Anti- Religious content” was the top suggestion of many people, especially friends so I chose it.
Digital Guruji : Why did you choose social work?
Saleem Choudhary : Although it is social work but I consider that I chose humanity first and then social work.
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Digital Guruji : How exactly do you go about using UAARC to report accounts that spread hatred?
Saleem Choudhary : There are more than 15,000 members of the UAARC “United Against Anti- Religious content” group. Whenever any member comes across any account or profile which is found to be posting objectionable content, such as nude or abusive posts against religion, then we share the link on the group. Once the link is shared on the group page, then members simply click on the link and begin reporting to Facebook.
This way of mass reporting is usually successful in getting the account suspended. When there is no action against the account by Facebook or Instagram and if the posts are violent or extremely hateful, then we also report such accounts to the Cyber Crime Cell.
Digital Guruji : What advice would you like to give our readers?
Saleem Choudhary : Only one advice, spread love and don’t fall into the trap of religious hatred spread by content on social media.
UAARC “United Against Anti- Religious content” group is created to put off the hatred spreading online. For many years we have been observing that people keep posting objectionable posts on their social media handles for the sake of getting fake publicity. But on the other side, there is a source of motivation to anti-peace elements of society. So we have come up with this idea to start an initiative and take down these accounts and take necessary action on them. “United Against Anti- Religious content” group is created against the accounts and posts which are shared on social media for spreading Hatred between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, ChristiansLets unite. Please share details of such accounts here in the group that are posting hatred posts on any religion or abusing any religion.
We wish Saleem Choudhry, founder of UAARC group, success in all his future endeavors. Here ends Interview with Saleem Choudhry.
I follow you every day bcz ur work insipired me lot
Thanks Deepak