By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Thiruvananthapuram: The case of Hadiya, a girl who converted to Islam and married a Muslim has once again come under the limelight for the partial stand by the Kerala police. On Wednesday, the police blocked a group of women activists including media persons outside her house while they tried to meet Hadiya, who has been confined on the order of Kerala High Court.
Besides, the group was manhandled by alleged Sangh Parivar activists outside the house in the presence of police. Few weeks ago, the police had permitted Hindu preacher and activist Rahul Easwar inside the house and no action was taken against him after a complaint was issued by Hadiya’s father against him for recording Hadiya’s video without the family’s permission. Rahul managed to enter the house, where six policemen stand around the clock, inspect vehicles and stop journalists even from taking pictures of her house and surroundings.
On Wednesday, six members of Feminist Reading Group, a Facebook collective, arrived T V Puram in Kottayam district. “We arrived at the spot to hand over some sweets and books to Hadiya, who is in confinement. We also wanted to express our solidarity saying ‘some women use to hear your grievances and we are with you’. But were denied entry,” said a Facebook live video by group member Ammu Thomas.
Apart from Ammu, the group consisted Sajna Shas, Mrudula Bhavani, Bhoomi J N, Anusha Paul and Shabna Sumayya.
While the women were denied entry, they started a silent protest outside the house. “We heard Hadiya crying save me. The windows were soon closed,” said Ammu.
Soon after the protest was started, a group of local residents, which came in a group started to harass them and threatened attack. The police team,according to Ammu, threatened them that they will be arrested. Though the group went away, police took Shabna’s husband Faisal to custody.
Ammu said Faisal only accompanied Shabna and was waiting for his wife away from Hadiya’s house. Faisal was later released and police said he was taken into custody to avert some unwanted incidents.
Wednesday’s incident has however triggered wide protests against police. “Police allows none inside citing court order. But, Rahul Easwar was permitted and he could even record her video,” said K C Naseer, who is giving legal assistance to Hadiya and his husband Shefin Jahan.
No Love Jihad, No Compulsion: Hadiya converted by choice
Media term Hadiya’s case as Love Jihad case. But, the affidavits by Hadiya in Kerala High Court deny it and tells a different tale. Hadiya (Akhila Ashokan) joined a private college at Salem in Tamil Nadu in 2011 to study Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery. The 18-year-old Hindu girl made Muslim friends and began to follow Islam. No compulsion has worked behind her conversion. “She was attracted to Islam after she started staying with her friends Faseena and her sister Faseela from Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district. She started reading books,” Naseer said.
“I was attracted to Islam after finding my two Muslim friends timely performing prayers,” said an affidavit, submitted by Hadiya in Kerala High Court on January 9, 2016.
Akhila started performing prayers by 2015 and she demanded help from Faseena and Faseela to formally convert in January, 2016. She went to Kozhikode and registered at Therbiayyathul Islam Sabha, the authorised institution for conversion to Islam, with the help of Jaseena’s father Aboobacker.
The issues started after Hadiya’s father Ashokan filed a petition in Kerala High Court alleging his daughter was being forcibly converted. Akhila, who denied the allegation in court, was allowed to go free and the petition was dismissed. In July, 2016, she got a certificate from Therbiyyathul Islam Sabha and changed her name as Hadiya. In August, Ashokan filed a habeas corpus petition alleging some organisations were trying to take her daughter abroad and they wanted to make part of ISIS.
“The petition was filed following the missing of Kerala Muslim youths, who were feared to have joined ISIS. But, Hadiya didn’t even have a passport,” Nazeer said.
The case was continuously adjourned by the court and on December 19, 2016, Hadiya got married with Shafin Jahan while the case was being heard by the court.
On December 21, court expressed its dissatisfaction over marriage while Hadiya appeared before it and sent her to a nearby hostel under police surveillance. It also ordered a police investigation into the marriage. A report by Perinthalmanna DySP M P Mohanachandran said nothing wrong was in the marriage and it was held under Islamic law.
After citing the police report unconvincing and a crime branch probe was initiated by the Kerala police after the court directed police chief to investigate into Shafin’s whereabouts. The court also nullified the marriage on May 24 and Hadiya was sent to her parent’s house at T V Puram. Shafin Jahan approached the Supreme Court and on August 16, Supreme Court ordered an NIA probe into Hadiya’s conversion. Shafin and Hadiya are now waiting for justice from apex Court.