Kerala: the (perceived) threat of "love jihad"
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Fear is mounting in Kerala over the so-called
"Love Jihad", or alleged forced conversions of Christian and Hindu girls
by Muslims, with the offer of marriage, the young would then be forced to
embrace Islam. Adding
fuel to the fire, is the arrest of a woman in Kochi, accused of being involved in terrorist
activities. According
to Kochi police,
Shahina provided phone sim cards to Thadiyantavide Nazir, a member of
Lashkar-e-Taiba (the group responsible for the attacks in Mumbai in 2008),
while in jail. The
woman's original name was Deepa Cheriyan, which she changed after marrying
Naushad, a Muslim friend of Nazir, and her conversion to Islam.
The
epsiode has reignited the issue of the "love jihad" and countless hate campaigns of Hindu and
Christian communities, in spite of several Islamic associations always denying
the existence of this practice. Oomen
Chandy, Christian and chief minister of Kerala, has tried to quell the
controversy by declaring that, "there are no forced conversions in enlightened Kerala
Society ".
The
statement made on 16 July, was in reply to a question asked by KK Lathika, a
member of the Legislative Assembly of the State, who noted that expressions like
"love jihad" or "moral police" had appeared on the front
pages of newspapers. For
the chief minister instead, forced conversions are not yet a threat or danger,
and the fact that marriage is one of the first reasons for conversion gives no-one
any right to harass the Islamic community.
These
statements have not, however, convinced public
opinion, and the tension that has arisen in Kerala is also apparent in a file published
by Wikileaks from the U.S. Consulate in Chennai (Tamil Nadu). In
it, the "love jihad" is defined as an "alleged conspiracy of 'attractive'
Muslims, financed by foreigners, trying to seduce, marry and convert Hindus and
Christians to use for terrorist purposes". The
document also points out that "the controversial phenomenon" is exacerbated
by the "religious tensions" in southern India.
According
to Sajan George, president of the Global
Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), not all young Muslims are involved in
this practice, and for that "all Indians, irrespective of creed, must
speak out and condemn this tragic results, in
the interests of peace and harmony within the community, their country and the
world. "
A
report by the central government alleges that from 2006 to date 2,687 women
have converted to Islam in Kerala. Of these, 2,195 were
Hindus and 492 Christians.
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07/02/2019 17:28
23/03/2022 16:43
