Muslims react with caution to UP govt's ordinance against conversion for marriage

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a draft ordinance to curb forcible or “dishonest” religious conversions including those for the sake of marriage, which could land violators in jail for up to 10 years. The good thing is that the draft ordinance does not use the term “love jihad” and the forced conversion which has been termed as illegal and punishable is something that is already held as crime in the Muslim law, senior member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Khalid Rashid Farangimahli told PTI.

With the Uttar Pradesh government clearing a draft ordinance to deal with religious conversions solely for marriage, Muslim leaders on Wednesday reacted with caution, saying it should be ensured that it does not infringe upon the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a draft ordinance to curb forcible or "dishonest" religious conversions including those for the sake of marriage, which could land violators in jail for up to 10 years.

The good thing is that the draft ordinance does not use the term "love jihad" and the forced conversion which has been termed as illegal and punishable is something that is already held as crime in the Muslim law, senior member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Khalid Rashid Farangimahli told PTI. In the Quran also, Allah has said force in religion is not justified, so we have no objection to punishment over it, he added.

"Love jihad" is a term coined by a section of Hindu groups for Muslim men allegedly forcing women to convert in the guise of love and marriage. "We are of the opinion that for peace and communal harmony, it is needed that Muslims and Hindus marry in their own communities. We have no objection to whatever we have seen in the ordinance," Farangimahli said.

The AIMPLB member stressed that whenever any law is enacted, it is based on the intention that there would not be any discrimination with anyone. "We also expect that this law will not be used wrongly. The legal experts will have to see that the law does not raise a question mark on the constitutional right to freedom of religion for all Indians. Otherwise, we have no objection to this law," he said.

Shaista Amber, president, All-India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, however, said there was no need for such a law. "If anyone is getting married on the basis of deceit and forcibly getting the other person converted, there should be a stringent law for it and we already have laws for it. There was no need to bring a new law," she said.

Stressing that there are laws to check deceit in marriage, Amber said if the government has decided to bring a new legislation, it should also be ensured that it is not misused and people's right to freedom of religion is not harmed. Another senior AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani reasoned if two adults get married, even if they belong to different castes, religions or even nations, their marriage is their private right.

The apex court has also accepted this fact, Jilani, also a senior counsel, said. Stressing that no religion is in favour of forcible conversions, Jilani said the real purpose of the new law is to create terror in the minds of people but by doing so, the right given to the people under Article 25 of the Constitution will be infringed upon.

This is part of the old policy of the BJP to totally bring an end to all conversions, Jilani said. Muslim religious leader Sajid Rashidi, however, saw in it an attempt to polarise society ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections.

Laws already exists against forced conversion but since the elections to the West Bengal assembly are due, there is a need to prepare a political ground and create hatred between Hindus and Muslims, he alleged. Meanwhile, the state's minister Mohsin Raza welcomed the draft ordinance cleared by the cabinet.

"With this, we will be able to expose those who are behind this dirty game," he said. Raza said the ordinance brought to check the girls from being duped by those enticing them with fake identities is the interest of all people..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)