A new law in India called the 'Love Jihad law' prevents Hindu women's conversion to Islam. It is a deterrent against the forced conversion of women with no consent.
A Muslim man was arrested in India's Uttar Pradesh state by the police to attempt to convert Hindu women into the Islamic faith.
This came about after a new anti-conversion law about love jihad that led to the Muslim man. Radical Hindus use this term to accuse Muslim men of converting more Hindu women by marrying them, reported BBC.
A Sharp reaction to the approved law is outrage in some sectors; many call it Islamophobia. Four Indian states are now making laws that prevent love jihad from happening.
Last Wednesday, Twitter was abuzz with the arrest of the suspect in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district.
According to the BBC, the woman's father complained because there was pressure to convert, with a threat if she refused. His daughter and the Muslim man were together until they broke up but were married early in the year.
The police told BBC Hindi that the family filed a kidnapping case. A year ago, it was filed against the man but closed when the woman said it was not true.
He was arrested last Wednesday and sent to 14 days of judicial custody for his offense. In his defense, the man said he was innocent of the charge and did not know her as claimed.
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If anyone is proven to be guilty of the offense, that comes with ten years in jail and non-bailable. This law comes about a more are inter-marrying in India as it gets more modern.
What is the love jihad law about.
Last November, Uttar Pradesh was the first to pass laws directed against "forced" or "fraudulent" religious conversions.
The move seemed popular for many in Uttar Pradesh, and four other Indian states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, and Assam will follow suit with their own "love jihad'. These five states are held under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is accused of promoting anti-Islamic sentiments to the forefront.
Criticisms against the law opposed to it say it is regressive and offensive to many Indians; only a minority agrees. One outcome feared is a gross misuse and to harass individuals by those against Islam. Many fringe right-wing radical Hindu groups use the term a lot, and neither does Indian law recognize it.
The headlines have featured the term for a while; last October, one jewelry brand had an ad pulled from an advertising campaign. Right-wingers attack the innocent ad fringe right-wing radical Hindu groups say it promotes "love jihad."
A slogan was used, ''Our love is love, not jihad'
The term is challenging that Indian brands have to deal with 'hate.' A Netflix series got the flak for a simple scene. A Suitable Boy, showing a Hindu woman and a Muslim man kiss, and a Hindu temple was in the background. Madhya Pradesh's Home Minister, Narottam Mishra, saw it and commented it hurt religious sentiments that echoed the Love Jihad Law.
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