Love Jihad refers to the practice where young Muslim men target young women of other religions, particularly Hindus, for conversion into Islam, through feigning love, seduction, kidnapping and eventually marriage. Rather, that’s what it would have been if it were true.
Love Jihad is not a real thing, and as a matter of fact, never has been. It is a conspiracy theory whose prominence and propagation are almost entirely due to Hindutva Right Wing activists and bodies. The repetition of the myth is so prevalent that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi later endorsed a film that promoted the theory. In this article, we will debunk (the already debunked) myth of Love Jihad, aim to understand its prevalence in right wing politics and popular discourse, as well as explore similar myths in other parts of the world.
Debunking the Myth of Love Jihad
Love Jihad is a myth rooted in Islamophobia and populist politics. At its core is the view of Indian muslim men, a demographic minority, as a hypersexual people that targets Hindu women for conversion. It bears similarities to Neo-nazi and White Nationalist movements in the West that hold the belief their race is under threat of replacement. Love Jihad (in some cases called Romeo Jihad) was brought into national discourse around 2009. Claims by politicians in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, as well as external commentary on Kerala, have circulated since.
In examining these claims (as we will in this article), it becomes clear that they are at best a regurgitation of unsubstantiated and debunked claims and at worst a deliberate proliferation of dehumanizing another religion. Whilst everyone is free to draw their own conclusions, a pattern of behaviour by political and influential bodies indicates it is more the latter than the former.
Between 2009 and 2014, cases and claims of Love Jihad were made by several political leaders as well as religious bodies, including Right Wing Hindutva groups and affiliates of the Catholic Church. In Uttar Pradesh, then MP and now Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made several claims of love jihad going back a decade to 2104, stating “ (Muslims) can't do what they want by force in India, so they are using the love jihad method here.”
In October 2009, the state government of Karnataka announced it would take steps to counter Love Jihad. In Kerala, several claims going back 15 years have been made by the catholic church, political parties, individuals, and even a movie (The Kerala Story) claimed that over 32,000 girls had been targeted for conversions. More concerning is the claim that most of these conversions, especially in Kerala, were to push women to join the Islamic State.
So, how did these claims fare against the evidence provided?
In Uttar Pradesh, Reuters reported in 2014 that the state police had found no credible evidence to support the claims made. In 2020, a Special Investigation Team was formed to examine 14 alleged cases of Love Jihad in Kanpur, and they concluded the same. In Karnataka, a week after the state government made the claim on countering the perceived threat of love jihad, the CID had concluded that there was no such organised effort in the state. This was further corroborated by the state police and further by the state government itself.
A Not So Kerala Story
The conspiracy of love jihad in Kerala could easily warrant its own article. Numerous claims have been made by members within the state, political parties, and a pseudo-documentary and film were even produced, all claiming love jihad. The prevalence of the myth became apparent in a highly publicised case dubbed The Hadiya Case, in which a Hindu woman and a Muslim man’s marriage was annulled by the Kerala High Court after claims of love jihad, the decision was later reversed by the Supreme Court because, yet agai,n it proved false.
In another, the self-claiming but continuously debunked film The Kerala Story claims that 32,000 girls from Kerala converted to Islam and joined ISIS. One of the many problems with that claim is that it is inconsistent with reality. In real life, ISIS had between 31,000 and 35,000 active members according to the CIA. This, too, is at its peak. It is also worth noting that the film rescinded this claim from the proportional material after it became a point of contention for the film’s legitimacy. This, however, did not stop Prime Minister Modi from praising and subsequently promoting the film.
The Myth of the Ravishing Other
Although culturally specific to India and the diaspora, Love Jihad does not exist in isolation. The idea and myth of a minority demographic of men conspiring to lure women of the majority demographic is persistent across cultures. It occurs under different pseudonyms that are typically unique to the location and is usually layered with components of the patriarchy, heteronormativity as well as whatever form of discrimination is prevalent (racism, islamophobia, antisemitism etc).
The idea hinges on the hypocritical idea that the women belonging to the majority demographic are vulnerable and thus need to be protected from outsiders. Hypocritical because vocal agents of this idea are not really interested in the betterment of women’s lives (how many supporters of the myth of Love Jihad are feminists?). In fact, they often act within the associated tools and structures of the patriarchy and are more likely to infringe on female autonomy. When annulling the marriage in The Hadiya Case, Hadiya’s own freedom of choice was not considered. The Kerala High Court claimed that the absence of her parents (although she was 24 years old at the time) was part of the reason.
Parallels can be drawn with the myth of the black rapist in the United States which itself is part of the white nationalism movement that believes the white race is in danger.
In essence, it is just a veiled excuse for discriminatory majority demographics to continue practising said discrimination, and it should be treated as such. An excuse for propagating bigotry and hate.
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