As cases of grooming jihad increase in the country, in Dakshin Kannada, a woman named Asiya Joobi Ibrahim Khaleel Kattekar, who had converted to Islam to marry Ibrahim Khaleel Kattekar, alleged that her in-laws of forcibly keeping her away from her husband.
Met on Facebook, married after converting to Islam
According to reports, Shanthi Joobi who changed her name to Asiya Joobi Ibrahim Khaleel Kattekar after the conversion had met Ibrahim on Facebook. She hails from Kannur in Kerala. In July 2017, she married Ibrahim after converting to Islam. After marriage, the couple stayed at rented accommodations at many places including in Bengaluru and Mysuru.
Speaking at a press conference in which she was accompanied by members of Adhunik Human Rights Committee, she alleged that after her husband Ibrahim’s brother Shihab came to know about their marriage, he forcefully took Ibrahim away to their house in Sullia and did not allow him to meet Asiya ever since. She said that she had paid money worth over Rs 25 lakh on different occasions, and had given two luxury cars and two scooters to Shihab on his demand. According to Asia, when she tried to contact her husband, his family threatened to kill him. They have allegedly switched-off Ibrahim’s phone. Both sides have held discussions at Puttur and Sullia police stations but no settlement could be reached.
Husband’s brother sent her obscene messages
Asiya has alleged that when she went to her in-laws’ house, Shihab threatened to kill her. She further alleged that Shihab had been sending her obscene messages. She said that her in-laws continued to mentally torture her. Asia said that she had married Ibrahim thinking that she would have a secured life but no one supported her. When nothing worked for her, Asiya approached the media to voice her grievance. A team of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have stepped in to help Asiya. On November 26, the VHP tea took her to Sullia police station to file a complaint against her husband’s family. The VHP has urged her to come back to the Hindu fold.
#Breaking | Muslim groups refute Asiya’s love jihad charges.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 2, 2020
Religion has no role to play in love. To call it ‘love jihad’, is wrong: Ashraf Muslim, Jamaat President. pic.twitter.com/KmC67shfEk
Asiya’a allegations of love jihad have been refuted by Muslim groups. Jamaat President, Ashraf said, “Religion has no role to play in love. To call it love jihad is wrong”. He said that the allegations against them that their organisation did not help Asia were wrong.
It is wrong to say that we didn’t support Asiya. Our organization worked day & night to help her during the crisis: Ashraf, Jamat President. pic.twitter.com/reGwtCMDeI
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 2, 2020
VHP’s ‘Love Jihad Task Force’ in Karnataka
A task force has been formed by the VHP to deal with cases of Grooming Jihad that have emerged in Karnataka. VHP District President Sharan P said that a youth team named ‘Love Jihad Task Force’ had been formed to counter cases of Love Jihad.
#Breaking | Love Jihad task force surfaces in Karnataka.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 2, 2020
Seeks stringent love jihad law in the state.
‘We have a team to counter love jihad issues.’ pic.twitter.com/YoeB2npbvT
Swami Rajashekharananda said that there were 23 people in the task force including five lawyers and other activists.
The Karnataka government is also planning to enact a law to deal with cases of love jihad in the state. Earlier this month, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa had said that the state government would take strong measures to curb religious conversions due to Love Jihad. Recently, Uttar Pradesh had enacted a law to prevent unlawful religious conversions due to love jihad.
