Love Jihad
Encyclopedia
Love Jihad also called Romeo Jihad, is an alleged activity under which some young Muslim
boys and men reportedly target college girls belonging to non-Muslim communities for conversion to Islam
by feigning love. While similar activities have been reported elsewhere, the term has been used to describe the activity in India. The allegations have raised concerns in various Hindu and Christian organizations, while Muslim organisations in Kerala
have denied that they are true. Officials in India have taken concerns seriously and investigations were launched in 2009 in Kerala and Karnataka
, but to date no organised activity of the sort has been confirmed in those investigations.
in the coastal Karnataka region. According to Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, up to 4,500 girls in Kerala have been targeted, whereas Hindu Janajagruti Samiti
claimed that 30,000 girls have been converted in Karnataka alone. Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana general secretary Vellapally Natesan
said that there had been reports in Narayaneeya communities of "Love Jihad" attempts.
Reports of similar activities have emerged from Pakistan
and the United Kingdom
.
The practice is said to be popular on college campuses, and it was on one such that in early September 2009 two girls—one Hindu and one Christian—indicated that they had been forced to convert by two Muslim youths. The young men, both of whom were members of the Muslim Popular Front of India
's student organisation Campus Front were subsequently arrested and held without bail. Other women have reported similar situations. According to press reports, the purpose of the activity is to force girls to produce children for Islam.
Following the launching of a poster campaign in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, purportedly by organisation Shri Ram Sena, state police began investigating the presence of that organisation in the area. In late October 2009, police addressed the question of "Love Jihad" itself, indicating that while they had not located an organisation called "Love Jihad", "there are reasons to suspect ‘concentrated attempts’ to persuade girls to convert to Islam after they fall in love with Muslim boys". They documented unconfirmed reports of a foreign-funded network of groups encouraging conversion through the subterfuge, but noted that no organisations conducting such campaigns had been confirmed and no evidence had been located to support foreign financial aid.
In late 2009, The Karnataka CID (Criminal Investigation Department) reported that although it was continuing to investigate, it had found no evidence that a "Love Jihad" existed. In late 2009, Director-General of Police Jacob Punnoose reported that although the investigation would continue, there was no evidence of any organisation using men "feigning love" to lure your women to convert to Islam. However, on 9 December 2009, Justice K T Sankaran for the Kerala High Court weighed in on the matter while hearing bail for the Muslim youth arrested for allegedly forcibly converting the two campus girls. According to Sankaran, police reports revealed the "blessings of some outfits" for a "concerted" effort for religious conversions, some 3,000 to 4,000 incidences of which had taken place after love affairs in a four year period. Sankaran "found indications of ‘forceful’ religious conversions under the garb of ‘love’", suggesting that "such ‘deceptive’ acts" might require legislative intervention to prevent. According to The Indian Express
, his conclusion that "such incidents under the pretext of love were rampant in certain parts of the state" ran contrary to Central and state government reports. In early 2010, the State Government reported to the Karnataka High Court that although a large number of young Hindu women had converted to Islam, there was no organized attempt to convince them to do so. A petition was also put before Sankaran to prevent the use of the terms "Love Jehad" and "Romeo Jehad", but Sankaran declined to overrule an earlier decision not to restrain media usage. Subsequently, however, the High Court stayed
further police investigation, both because no organised efforts had been disclosed by police probes and because the investigation was specifically targeted against a single community.
, and the Vishva Hindu Parishad
(VHP) banded against it, with the VHP making a specific Hindu helpline
that answered 1,500 calls in three months related to "Love Jihad". The Union of Catholic Asian News
(UCAN) have reported that Catholic Church is concerned about this alleged phenomenon. The Vigilance Council of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council
(KCBC) raised an alert for the Catholic community against the practice. In September, posters appeared in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala
under the name of right-wing group Shri Ram Sena warning against "Love Jihad". The group announced in December that it would launch a nationwide "Save our daughters, save India" campaign to combat "Love Jihad".
Muslim organizations in Kerala called it a "malicious misinformation campaign". Popular Front of India (PIF) committee-member Naseeruddin Elamaram denied that the PIF was involved in any "Love Jihad", stating that people convert to Hinduism and Christianity as well and that "[r]eligious conversion is not a crime". Members of the Muslim Central Committee of Dakshina Kannada
and Udupi districts have responded by claiming that Hindus and Christians have fabricated these claims to undermine the Muslim faith and community.
In July 2010, the "Love Jihad" controversy resurfaced in the press when Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan
referenced the alleged matrimonial conversion of non-Muslim girls as part of an effort "to make Kerala a Muslim majority state". The Popular Front of India dismissed his statements due to the findings of the Kerala probe, but the president of the BJP Mahila Morcha
, the women's wing of the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party
, called for an NIA
investigation, alleging that the Kerala state probe was closed prematurely due to a "tacit understanding with the Popular Front of India". The Kerala Congress responded strongly to the Chief Minister's comments, which they described as "deplorable and dangerous".
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
boys and men reportedly target college girls belonging to non-Muslim communities for conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
by feigning love. While similar activities have been reported elsewhere, the term has been used to describe the activity in India. The allegations have raised concerns in various Hindu and Christian organizations, while Muslim organisations in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
have denied that they are true. Officials in India have taken concerns seriously and investigations were launched in 2009 in Kerala and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, but to date no organised activity of the sort has been confirmed in those investigations.
Scope
Love Jihad was alleged to be conducted in Kerala and MangaloreMangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
in the coastal Karnataka region. According to Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, up to 4,500 girls in Kerala have been targeted, whereas Hindu Janajagruti Samiti
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is a Hindu organization operating globally established on the 13th October 2002 by initiative of seekers of Sanatan Sanstha.The organization claims to be stand as a common platform for all Hindus to unite breaking all the barriers....
claimed that 30,000 girls have been converted in Karnataka alone. Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana general secretary Vellapally Natesan
Vellapally Natesan
Shri. Vellapally Natesan is the General Secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, the social organisation of millions of Ezhavas in Kerala. He hails from Kanichukulangara, Alappuzha district of Kerala....
said that there had been reports in Narayaneeya communities of "Love Jihad" attempts.
Reports of similar activities have emerged from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The practice is said to be popular on college campuses, and it was on one such that in early September 2009 two girls—one Hindu and one Christian—indicated that they had been forced to convert by two Muslim youths. The young men, both of whom were members of the Muslim Popular Front of India
Popular Front of India
The Popular Front of India is a confederation of Muslim organizations in India, including National Development Front, Manitha Neethi Pasarai and Karnataka Forum for Dignity etc...
's student organisation Campus Front were subsequently arrested and held without bail. Other women have reported similar situations. According to press reports, the purpose of the activity is to force girls to produce children for Islam.
Official investigation
In October 2009, the Karnataka government announced its intentions to counter "Love Jihad", which "appeared to be a serious issue". A week after the announcement, the government ordered a probe into the situation by the Crime Branch CID to determine if an organised effort existed to convert these girls and, if so, by whom it was being funded. One woman whose conversion to Islam came under scrutiny as a result of the probe was temporarily ordered to the custody of her parents, but eventually permitted to return to her new husband after she appeared in court, denying pressure to convert. In April 2010, police used the term to characterize the alleged kidnapping, forced conversion and marriage of a 17-year-old college girl in Mysore.Following the launching of a poster campaign in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, purportedly by organisation Shri Ram Sena, state police began investigating the presence of that organisation in the area. In late October 2009, police addressed the question of "Love Jihad" itself, indicating that while they had not located an organisation called "Love Jihad", "there are reasons to suspect ‘concentrated attempts’ to persuade girls to convert to Islam after they fall in love with Muslim boys". They documented unconfirmed reports of a foreign-funded network of groups encouraging conversion through the subterfuge, but noted that no organisations conducting such campaigns had been confirmed and no evidence had been located to support foreign financial aid.
In late 2009, The Karnataka CID (Criminal Investigation Department) reported that although it was continuing to investigate, it had found no evidence that a "Love Jihad" existed. In late 2009, Director-General of Police Jacob Punnoose reported that although the investigation would continue, there was no evidence of any organisation using men "feigning love" to lure your women to convert to Islam. However, on 9 December 2009, Justice K T Sankaran for the Kerala High Court weighed in on the matter while hearing bail for the Muslim youth arrested for allegedly forcibly converting the two campus girls. According to Sankaran, police reports revealed the "blessings of some outfits" for a "concerted" effort for religious conversions, some 3,000 to 4,000 incidences of which had taken place after love affairs in a four year period. Sankaran "found indications of ‘forceful’ religious conversions under the garb of ‘love’", suggesting that "such ‘deceptive’ acts" might require legislative intervention to prevent. According to The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
, his conclusion that "such incidents under the pretext of love were rampant in certain parts of the state" ran contrary to Central and state government reports. In early 2010, the State Government reported to the Karnataka High Court that although a large number of young Hindu women had converted to Islam, there was no organized attempt to convince them to do so. A petition was also put before Sankaran to prevent the use of the terms "Love Jehad" and "Romeo Jehad", but Sankaran declined to overrule an earlier decision not to restrain media usage. Subsequently, however, the High Court stayed
Stay of proceedings
A stay of proceedings is a ruling by the court in civil and criminal procedure, halting further legal process in a trial. The court can subsequently lift the stay and resume proceedings. However, a stay is sometimes used as a device to postpone proceedings indefinitely.-United Kingdom:In United...
further police investigation, both because no organised efforts had been disclosed by police probes and because the investigation was specifically targeted against a single community.
Community response
Various organisations have joined together against this perceived conduct. Christian groups, such as the Christian Association for Social ActionChristian Association for Social Action
Christian Association for Social Action is a Kerala-based Christian social action group that came to prominence after finding common cause with Vishva Hindu Parishad...
, and the Vishva Hindu Parishad
Vishva Hindu Parishad
' , which is usually known more simply as the VHP, is an international Hindu organization, which was founded in India in 1964. Its slogan is "धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः Dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ", which is supposed to mean "Dharma protects its protector"...
(VHP) banded against it, with the VHP making a specific Hindu helpline
Helpline
A helpline was originally a telephone service which offers help to those who call. Many helpline services now offer more than telephone support - offering access to information, advice or customer service via telephone, email, web or SMS....
that answered 1,500 calls in three months related to "Love Jihad". The Union of Catholic Asian News
Union of Catholic Asian News
The Union of Catholic Asian News is a news agency that covers matters of interest for the Catholic Church on the Asian continent. It was launched in Hong Kong in 1979. Since its foundation, it has become one of the largest Catholic news agencies in the world, as well as the largest in...
(UCAN) have reported that Catholic Church is concerned about this alleged phenomenon. The Vigilance Council of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council
Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council is a permanent association of the Catholic bishops in Kerala. It is an association of three rites of the Catholic Church - the Latin, the Syro Malabar and the Syro Malankara...
(KCBC) raised an alert for the Catholic community against the practice. In September, posters appeared in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
under the name of right-wing group Shri Ram Sena warning against "Love Jihad". The group announced in December that it would launch a nationwide "Save our daughters, save India" campaign to combat "Love Jihad".
Muslim organizations in Kerala called it a "malicious misinformation campaign". Popular Front of India (PIF) committee-member Naseeruddin Elamaram denied that the PIF was involved in any "Love Jihad", stating that people convert to Hinduism and Christianity as well and that "[r]eligious conversion is not a crime". Members of the Muslim Central Committee of Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
and Udupi districts have responded by claiming that Hindus and Christians have fabricated these claims to undermine the Muslim faith and community.
In July 2010, the "Love Jihad" controversy resurfaced in the press when Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan
V. S. Achuthanandan
Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of the state of Kerala. He had been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India since 1985, and until July 2009, when he was reverted to the Central Committee of the party owing to his...
referenced the alleged matrimonial conversion of non-Muslim girls as part of an effort "to make Kerala a Muslim majority state". The Popular Front of India dismissed his statements due to the findings of the Kerala probe, but the president of the BJP Mahila Morcha
BJP Mahila Morcha
BJP Mahila Morcha vice president sarita bhadauria is one of the women wing leader of Bharatiya Janata Party...
, the women's wing of the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
, called for an NIA
National Investigation Agency (India)
National Investigation Agency is a federal agency approved by the Indian Government to combat terror in India. The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states. The National Investigation Agency Bill 2008 to create the agency was...
investigation, alleging that the Kerala state probe was closed prematurely due to a "tacit understanding with the Popular Front of India". The Kerala Congress responded strongly to the Chief Minister's comments, which they described as "deplorable and dangerous".
See also
- Marital conversionMarital conversionMarital conversion refers to the concept of religious conversion upon marriage, either as a conciliatory act, or a mandated requirement according to a particular religious belief. Endogamous religious cultures may have certain opposition to interfaith marriage and ethnic assimilation, and may...
- ExogamyExogamyExogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...
- National Development Front
- Popular Front of IndiaPopular Front of IndiaThe Popular Front of India is a confederation of Muslim organizations in India, including National Development Front, Manitha Neethi Pasarai and Karnataka Forum for Dignity etc...
- Sri Ram SenaSri Ram SenaThe Sri Ram Sena is a right-wing Hindu extremist group founded in the late 1960s by Kalki Ji Maharaj right hand Bal Thackeray, a former leader of the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Kalki Ji Maharaj is a devotee of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna was born in Vrindavan U.P....
- Flirty FishingFlirty fishingFlirty Fishing is a form of evangelistic religious prostitution practiced from around 1974 to 1987 by female members in the new religious movement, the Children of God, now known as The Family International.-Etymology, definition:...