Love Jihad - reality or political hype?

Love Jihad – reality or political hype?

Introduction:

Starting from the controversy in Kerala and Karnataka in 2009, the term “love jihad” has been used, overused, misused, and allegedly used again and again by the media whenever a couple of cross religion (Hindu-Muslim only) come into spotlight. Scratching rumors into the personal lives of people, politicians did not spare the star couples like Saif-Kareen and Aamir-Kiran. As if that was not enough to prove the hype of the situation to stir hatred amongst the people, they even brought in couple from history (Jodha-Akbar) to prove their allegations. The mob, tough, better educated and informed, still falls for these hype and what follows is what we have been hearing in news since the Meerut case.

The reality:

1. Kerala Hindu Help Line (KHHL) reported that they rescued around 390 young girls from forced conversion to Islam. However, this body of VHP failed to produce any corroborative evidence regarding the alleged ‘victims’. They claim that these youths were funded by an Arabian group and the youths lured the girls with money.

2. Those converted to Islam, so called forcedly, accepted that they were in love and the conversion was their decision to get acceptance from the boy’s community and family. The reality is that Islam encourages conversion, but only when the person is willing to do so and not trapped or forced.

3. Be it Islam or Hinduism, we Indian are still living in Stone Age when it comes to accepting relations with the other religion. On both sides, the families would be ready to kill or disown the boy/girl if they dare fall in love with anyone from outside their religion. If the couple elopes and marries, acceptance by the family forever remains an issue until the girl accepts the tradition of the boy’s family. Even if the girl is not so willing to convert, she has to do it in order to gain acceptance by the boy’s family. Either ways, her own family would never support her if she turns to them for help.

4. The term ‘love jihad’ was called a conspiracy by the Muslims to convert Hindus but have they ever been able to show evidences where a girl was forced to marry and then convert? Those that are practicing such evilness have nothing to do with the general community or all the people of that community. They should be punished if the crime is proved but let’s not blame the entire community with such misinterpreted terms that generate hatred amongst people.

It’s simply a political hype:

1. When the Sangh Parivar is sitting all idle and they have nothing new to make people fight in the name of religion, they use all their evil brains to plot down such terms as ‘love jihad’ to stir anger amongst people. Those converted to Islam took the decision on their own for love or whatever sake and if they regret it later, they can go back to whichever religion they prefer. A simple marital issue was used by the Sanghs to stir controversies and indeed they lasted long.

2. The allegedly raped girl from Meerut whose case was used by the Sanghs and other Hindu activists to fulfill their political regimes tuned back from the allegations that she was raped or forced to convert. Even her statements earlier were contradictory and now she has accepted that she feared her own relatives and family and ran away with a Muslim boy. The term ‘love-jihad’ invented by the excellent evil minds of the politicians hits back on them and harder this time.

3. Both BJP and Samajwadi Party have now blamed each when the girl backed out from her statement. The people are not easy to fool now as they were years back when there was lack of information. Such political games being used as election agendas will never work in present times and that was clear in the September elections.

4. Marriage and love are both complicated terms in India. A girl gets death threats from her own family when she falls for a boy of other religion. The same is true for boys who dare marry a girl outside his own community. This has been prevailing in India since times immemorial and will continue if reforms are not introduced to protect youths from these religion games. Terming it as a religious conspiracy was indeed misusing the situation to their advantage.

Conclusion:

No religion teaches forced conversion or intolerance to other traditions. It is people who complicate things with their ego, the size bigger than their heart or brains combined. If a boy or girl wants to marry someone outside their religion, they should have the rights to do that it without any complications by the families of both sides. On one side people teach their children to respect and be friends with their fellow-mates of other religion at work or school but when it comes to love and marriage, the same parents are ready with threats to prevent the youths from bringing into their family a girl/boy of the other religion. Changes have to come from within if Indians want to get rid of such political hypes. The politicians are not lions, but we are the goats. They take advantage just because we present them with such instances.