Love Jihad

 (also known as Romeo Jihad) is an Islamophobic conspiracy theory developed by proponents of the ideology. The conspiracy theory purports that Muslim men target Hindu women for by means such as seduction, feigning love, deception, kidnapping, and marriage, as part of a broader "war" by Muslims against India, and an organised international conspiracy, for domination through demographic growth and replacement.

A

 * The ‘love jihad’ campaign diligently perpetuates the myth of the insatiably lustful Muslim man. Hindu women, in contrast, are made out to be helpless damsels, prone to seduction. This venomous propaganda has been wreaking havoc in the lives of young couples, with women denied their agency to choose their marriage partners. Within this communally vitiated atmosphere, where every interfaith marriage is viewed as a political conspiracy and every effort is made to keep Hindu girls ‘pure’ from contamination from Muslim boys, can the political party fuelling such an atmosphere spearhead a campaign to enforce the UCC?
 * Flavia Agnes, "The Modi Government's Hindutva Ideology Could Stall Any Progress on the Uniform Civil Code", The Wire, July 7, 2016.


 * A key plan of Muslims, according to Hindutva ideologues, is to “allure, attract and abduct young Hindu girls for marriage to the Muslims” (Paliwal 2003: 24).
 * Hindu Nationalism in India and the Politics of Fear, D. Anand, p. 30


 * A narrative common among Hindutva intellectuals, leaders, and activists across the country was that of a conscious Muslim ploy to seduce “innocent” Hindu girls.
 * Hindu Nationalism in India and the Politics of Fear, D. Anand, p. 51


 * Their plan is to make Kerala a Muslim state in the next 20 years. For that, they are luring youngsters, offering them money and insisting that they marry Hindu girls to increase the Muslim population. This is how they are growing their majority and these tricks are working.
 * Marxist veteran and CPM’s stalwart from Kerala, VS Achuthanandan. quoted in The Kerala Story is not Hindutva fiction, world is waking up to love jihad and grooming

C

 * The Left (CPM-led Left Democratic Front) and the Right (Congress-led United Democratic Front) are competing to appease jihadists by covertly and overtly justifying the form of terrorism known as love jihad. We should not allow the jihadists to grow in their (LDF’s and UDF’s) shadow. For that, we need to cut down the trees that provide them shelter. Think, act.
 * Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA), a Kerala-based Christian body, in an awareness video, in 2021. ‘They’re taking our girls to ISIS’: How Church is now driving ‘love jihad’ narrative in Kerala

E

 * One of the most painful aspects of Muslim demographic warfare is the open attempt by Muslims to grab non-Muslim girls to use them for their own demographic ambitions, meanwhile also inflicting a good dose of humiliation on the accused kafirs. In Bangladesh and in Muslim-majority areas inside India, this often takes the form of simply kidnapping girls, or of threatening them to marry them out to Muslims. In the open market-place of the West and of westernized circles in India, it takes the form of normal courtship, with the limitation that in case of a Muslim girl befriending a non-Muslim, family pressure is used on her, or physical threat on him or both, to stop the affair; since the same is much less likely to happen in the reverse case, the net result is a considerable traffic of non-Muslim girls into Muslim households.
 * Koenraad Elst, The Demographic Siege, 1998, quoted from Sound Biting Conspiracy: From India with “Love Jihad” by Kathinka Frøystad,  Religions 2021, 12(12), 1064

G

 * How far will this go? SC has said there is no love jihad. I know love jihad is real, I will say there is ‘love jihad. When I’m saying where we are headed, don’t misunderstand. There is only one solution to put an end to this. Respected Bharath must be declared a Hindu Rashtra... Love jihad is real and Muslims plan to make India an Islamic country by 2030… it was delayed due to the demonetisation move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 * P. C. George, April 2021, quoted in Due to Islamic threat, Kerala’s minister who happens to be a Christian wants India to be declared a Hindu nation


 * Mathew Mar Gregorios, the Bishop of the Syrian Independent Orthodox Church, believes that ‘love jihad’ is a reality and that the time has come for youngsters to stand up and fight this evil. “You should see the number of messages I get daily from parents of girls on my phone. There is a rampant conversion of Christian girls into Islam in the Malabar region. Since I am heading a Church denomination here, I have my limitations to talk about it openly,’’ the Bishop tells HT. ‘Love jihad’ is a misnomer because it’s a conversion ploy, not love, he says. “In most cases that I have seen personally and intervened too, it’s just the pretence of love. Once married, the girl gets abandoned most of the times. Conversion is the only motto and it is aimed at increasing the numbers of one community. Some people have even alleged an IS link to all this, which needs to be probed.’’
 * Mathew Mar Gregorios, the Bishop of the Syrian Independent Orthodox Church, 2017, The BJP and the Church find common ground on ‘Love Jihad’ in Kerala

K

 * Joseph Kallarangatt, Bishop of the Palai diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, alleged that those who claim that ‘love jihad’ doesn’t exist in Kerala are “blind to reality.” “Such people, be they politicians or those from social and cultural spaces, media may have their own vested interests. But one thing is clear. We are losing our young women. It is not just about love marriages. It’s a war strategy to destroy their lives,” he claimed... “Like in other parts of the world, there is a section of Muslims in Kerala who want to create animosity between communities and spread religious hatred. Jihadis are using different means to spread Islam and they are into targeting young non-Muslim girls for the same,” he said citing examples of Nimisha, a Hindu girl, and Sonia Sebastian, a Christian girl, who got converted to Islam after falling in love with Muslim men and finally joined the dreaded Islamic State in Syria. He further elucidated, “In a democratic country like ours, since it’s not easy to use weapons to destroy people of other faiths, jihadis are using means which are not easily identifiable. In the view of jihadis, non-Muslims are to be destroyed. When the objective is an expansion of their religion and the destruction of non-Muslims, the means they use are of different forms. Two of such widely-discussed means today are love jihad and narcotics jihad.
 * 21/11/2022 Joseph Kallarangatt, Bishop of the Palai diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, Love Jihad: Not a Hindutva conspiracy, Catholic Church rings alarm bells too


 * Launching Demographic war: Seducing and marrying Hindu girls and displaying them as proud jihad trophies i.e., jihad through “love”;
 * From a pamphlet spread by Krishnaswami (Krishnaswami n.d.: 41)


 * The spate of organised religious conversions and using the victims for terror activities by trapping them through ‘love jihad’ has shown the Christian community is a soft target for Islamic radicals.
 * It is important that the home ministry takes note of this alarming trend and order a probe by the National Investigative Agency and bring in an effective law to curb such fraudulent activit- ies of radicalised elements.
 * The fears expressed by the parents are not misplaced, given the experiences in similar cases in the past. Reports suggest out of 21 persons who joined the IS from Kerala, five were converted from Christianity." He quotes information published by Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference's Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance, where it is said "around 4,000 girls have been subjected to conversion since 2005 (till 2012) after they fell in love". The victims were sexually harassed or had to spend the rest of their lives in a pathetic condition without any freedom”.
 * The Christian girls in Kerala are targeted by ‘Love Jihad’. They can be easily victimized. The growing tendency of religious conversion prove this”.
 * George Kurian, vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), 2019 Christians-soft-target-for-love-jihad-islamic-radicals-minority-body-vice-chairman : The Week ‘Christian girls targeted, turned into sex slaves,’ Kerala’s biggest church sounds the alarm against Love Jihad Christians soft target for Islamic radicals, NCM writes to Shah Minorities Commission acknowledges love jihad "They can be easily victimized": Minority Commission state that Kerala girls are targeted by 'Love Jihad'

H

 * Our demand is that no girl should undergo this trauma. I feel that ‘Love Jihad’ is spreading rapidly.
 * Niranjan Hiremath, the Congress Corporator and father of MCA student Neha Hiremath who was killed Hubballi horror: Neha Hiremath's father says 'love jihad' is spreading rapidly, urges govt action Apr 19, 2024,

M

 * There are some cases which have come up that need to be addressed, we should definitely address it. If something like this is taking place, we should address it... There are some issues and apprehension about this. The government should clearly come out about what has happened and if there are any such cases (of ‘love jihad’), they should be addressed and stopped.
 * Jose K Mani, 2021. ‘Love jihad’ cases should be studied & addressed: Kerala Congress (M) chief on church view E Sreedharan’s remarks on Love Jihad has triggered a debate in Kerala and even Congress (M) is speaking up about it


 * This is an organised crime. There is money coming from the Gulf and other countries to enable a gang of Muslim men trap Hindu women, marry them and then use them for crime including terror.
 * Pramod Muthalik On Love Jihad, as quoted in "Muthalik finds cases of ‘love jihad’ in state, cites RTI info", The Indian Express (20 September 2014)

N

 * We have seen how the sufi divine Khwaja Hasan Nizami in his Daiye Islam had instructed the Muslims on the ways to convert Hindus to Islam. His over-enthusiasm cautioned the Hindus. The instructions did not remain a secret, the book was translated and the Hindus found out how and why secret kidnappings, abductions and seductions of Hindu girls by Muslims in almost every town and city of northern India had become the order of the day. Hindus, individually and through their organisations, began to exercise vigilance. They began to undo such dirty attempts by rescuing Hindu girls, widows and orphans and bringing the offenders to book.
 * Khwaja Hasan Nizami, in V.P. Bhatia, "The Ever Green Mulla Power", in Organiser, 27 October 1996 citing references from B.R. Ambedkar, Pakistan and Partition of India; Indra Prakash, The History of Hindu Mahasabha; and Shaikh Abdullah, Aatish-e-Chinar. Quoted from Lal, K. S. (1999). Theory and practice of Muslim state in India. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan. Chapter 6


 * Of the many pamphlets and brochures in Urdu instructing Muslims in the ways of converting Hindus, only one may be examined to give an idea of the stuff contained in such literature. It is the Daiye Islam (Propagation of Islam) by Khwaja Hasan Nizami. Hasan Nizami was a sufi divine connected with the dargah of Nizamuddin Awliya of Delhi. The pamphlet teaches the Muslims the quickest and comprehensive way of converting Kafirs to Islam. The Khwaja exhorted Muslims of all categories from the highest to the lowest, to serve the cause of Islam by helping in the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam. In this missionary endeavour Zamindars and Nawabs, doctors and prostitutes, ekka players and bangle sellers were all invited to make their contribution. Muslim lawyers and doctors were to influence their Hindu clients to convert. Nawabs and Zamindars were to pressurize Hindu tenants under them to become Musalman. The prostitute was required to exert her influence on her Hindu visitors and admirers into becoming Muslims. The bangle seller was to seduce young Hindu girls and the ekka driver was to seduce away Hindu ladies and children. Such a recipe was neither spiritual nor edifying but it fitted with the Muslim mentality. The pamphlet recorded wide sale among Muslims. The Nizam of Hyderabad fixed an allowance for the Khwaja and other Muslims Chiefs and Zamindars followed suit. Muslim magistrates, police and excise inspectors and other influential officials were found working according to the plan laid out by this sufi devotee of Islam.
 * Khwaja Hasan Nizami, in Lal, K. S. (1999). Theory and practice of Muslim state in India. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan. Chapter 6

P

 * There has been an increase in the number of cases where our girls are entrapped by extremists. Let us pray for the sorrows of the parents who remain helpless when their children fall into the trap of religious extremists. In this era of increasing violence against women, we should respect women and femininity as we love and respect the Holy Mother. "Everyone should take advantage of the Archdiocesan Catechism Center's awareness campaign aimed at teenage children and their parents so that our children do not fall into the trap of terrorist groups.
 * Pastoral letter issued by Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplani. Extremists luring Christian girls feigning love, warns Tellicherry Archdiocese September 05, 2022


 * “If the believers are concerned with such a scenario, then you cannot fault them for it. Though officially, the diocese has not taken a stand, we are concerned. So if there are people working towards stopping such a thing what is wrong in supporting them.’’
 * Father Jimmy Poochakatt, spokesperson, Syro Malabar Church. 2017, The BJP and the Church find common ground on ‘Love Jihad’ in Kerala

S

 * There is a dark sexual obsession about allegedly ultra-virile Muslim male bodies and overfertile Muslim female ones, that inspire and sustain the figures of paranoia and revenge.
 * Sarkar, Tanika. "Semiotics of Terror: Muslim Children and Women in Hindu Rashtra." Economic and Political Weekly 37, no. 28 (2002): 2872-876. Accessed July 9, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4412352.


 * There is also the perpetual fear of a more virile Muslim male body that lures away Hindu girls, a kind of penis envy and anxiety about emasculation that can only be overcome by doing violent deeds.
 * Sarkar, Tanika. "Semiotics of Terror: Muslim Children and Women in Hindu Rashtra." Economic and Political Weekly 37, no. 28 (2002): 2872-876. Accessed July 9, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4412352.


 * Love jihad, yes, I see what’s happened in Kerala. How Hindus are being tricked in a marriage and how they suffer…not only Hindus, Muslims, the Christian girls are being tricked in a marriage. Now that sort of a thing I certainly will oppose.”
 * E. Sreedharan, 21 Feb 2021, NDTV: BJP Not Communal, Party Of Nation-Lovers: "Metro Man" E Sreedharan To NDTV Not a cry of the right-wing fringe? Now Metro Man E Sreedharan says love jihad is an issue and must be combatted E Sreedharan’s remarks on Love Jihad has triggered a debate in Kerala and even Congress (M) is speaking up about it


 * While the Left dismisses these occurrences as a figment of the ‘right-wing imagination’, the cases are real. The dead bodies are also real and the threat is imminent... It is because of the narrow definition of a term like ‘Love Jihad’ that the Left is now attempting to twist it to allege that the term Love Jihad is simply used because ‘extremist Hindus’ are against inter-faith marriages, whereas, the phenomenon is far from being about consensual relationships. It is for these reasons that OpIndia has now decided to do away with the term ‘Love Jihad’ in its parlance and reportage. There is no ‘Love’ in Jihad and even if accept the term along with its problematic syntax, it fails to capture the severity of the Jihad that is being waged by sections of radical Muslims that specifically target non-Muslim women. We believe that the term ‘Grooming Jihad’ is far more appropriate since it encapsulates within itself all categories of crimes that keep women at the centre of this Jihad. Non-Muslim women are being groomed to accept their own subjugation at the hands of Muslim men. They are kidnapped, raped, lured, converted to Islam, punished and brainwashed. There is no ‘Love’ in these crimes against humanity. There is no ambiguity that it is a form of Jihad. It is time to call it what it is – Grooming Jihad.
 * Nupur J Sharma | 18 November, 2020 Why OpIndia has decided to use ‘Grooming Jihad’ instead of ‘Love Jihad’ moving forward


 * Kashmir is not Pakistan where Sikhs can be forced to convert, we won't allow this to happen. Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib has written a letter to Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir to bring a law against 'Love Jihad'.
 * Sardar R P Singh, June 2021, Sikh leaders meet Reddy over conversion of Sikh girls in Kashmir Sikh Leaders Meet MoS Home G Kishan Reddy Over Forcible Religious Conversion Of Sikh Girls In J&K

T

 * It is a cause of great worry that Christian girls are the most targeted lot. The CBI, the NIA and the IB have all reported that such cases are occurring in the state and the country. It is saddening and worrying that despite the existence of a mechanism to counter efforts by religious terrorist groups to entrap gullible girls, these are not being tackled efficiently.
 * FR Antony Thalachelloor, Christian-girls-targeted-and-killed-in-name-of-love-jihad-kerala-syro-malabar-church : The Week


 * The Islamic State has been luring Christian women as part of their international agenda of hunting down Jewish and Christian women... In the next few months, we will sensitise families and girls through our pious organisations so that they are educated enough not to fall into this trap.
 * Father Antony Thalachelloor, 2020, Syro-Malabar Church says ‘love jihad’ a threat in Kerala, govt says it doesn’t exist


 * As if this is not enough, there is a deliberate and organised design to convert Kargil's Buddhists to Islam. In the last four years, about 50 girls and married women with children were allured and converted from village Wakha alone. If this continues unchecked, we fear that Buddhists will be wiped out from Kargil in the next two decades or so. Anyone objecting to such allurement and conversions is harassed... Therefore, to protect the religious and cultural identity of the Ladakhi people, an anti-conversion law must be enacted for Kargil as is presently in force in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
 * Tundup Tsering and Tsewang Nurboo of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, quoted in: Koenraad Elst: Bharatiya Janata Party vis-à-vis Hindu resurgence, also quoted in K. Elst (2002). Who is a Hindu?: Hindu revivalist views of Animism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and other offshoots of Hinduism.

V

 * Love jihad shouldn’t be viewed only from the love angle, but addressed at a broader level. This is not to target any particular community. Secular political parties should at least accept that love jihad exists here. A small group of people in the state is continuously getting radicalised and it has its links to international and global Islam. It varies in names, but people and leadership of these groups are almost the same... It’s a major problem we’ve been facing for many years, but secular political parties in Kerala are not interested in discussing these issues. It’s part of their politics. Every death and killing that happens in the state is sidelined as a “isolated” incident. A series of killings have taken place and yet no mainstream party in the state has addressed the issue. There have been reports that the radical groups were involved in the killings and the government has all the details... “Even today we received phone calls from worried Christian parents seeking help and counselling for their daughters. It’s not about getting married to someone from another religion. In these cases, we don’t see them living happily after the marriage. We’ve been monitoring the issues. The police themselves have revealed in many cases that girls have gone missing after marriage or they have joined the Islamic State and were being used as sex slaves. That means it was not love. Love has been used as a weapon.
 * Fr Varghese Vallikkat, as quoted an attributed in Politics in state silent on love jihad, but we can’t be: Bishops Council E Sreedharan’s remarks on Love Jihad has triggered a debate in Kerala and even Congress (M) is speaking up about it