Indian family reverts to Islam months after adopting Hinduism under 'ghar wapsi' campaign

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

Indian family reverts to Islam months after adopting Hinduism under 'ghar wapsi' campaign
ByWeb Desk
Published: May 2, 2015
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AGRA: As many as 17 people from the Indian city of Agra reverted to Islam, nearly five months after they had ‘converted’ to Hindusim on December 25 last year under a controversial ‘ghar wapsi’ campaign.

The conversion took place on Friday at the Mahuar Lathia village in the Achnera block of the district. Those who reverted all belonged to the ‘Nat’ community who are gypsies living in the slums.

Read: In India, 800 Valmiki Hindus convert to Islam to save homes from demolition



The 70-year-old head of the family, Rehmat, his children and grandchildren all recited the ‘kalma’ and were supervised by the head of an organisation spearheaded by clerics.

According to Rehmat, his son Ali Muhammad had pressurised the family to make the decision, while according to the latter, he only did so when he was assured by a Hindu leader that they will be handed over the possession of land, something underprivileged families in the country can only dream about.

Ali, himself, later converted to Islam as well.

Read: Discord in India: BJP lawmaker plans mass conversion of Muslims, Christians

The Muslim community in the city had reacted strongly to the conversion campaign by Hindus, and barred those who had converted from attending marriage ceremonies. They were told that they could only do so after reverting to Islam.

Read: How come Hindu men aren’t converting, only marriageable young girls?

Moreover, according to a Mufti of the city, the status of marriage between a couple becomes void if one of them converts to another religion. Therefore, couples among the 17 men and women will have to retake their marriage vows.


Indian family reverts to Islam months after adopting Hinduism under 'ghar wapsi' campaign - The Express Tribune

 

[Josef K]

Threatened and boycotted, Muslim family that converted to Hinduism goes back to Islam

GRA: The Muslim family that had embraced Hinduism during the much publicized “Ghar Wapasi” program last year has now gone back to being Muslims after they received threats and were boycotted by the local Muslim society.

A family of 17 members in Davli village headed by 70-year-old Rahmat had embraced Hinduism on December 25 last year, but they were reported to have stopped following Hindu rituals after they received threats from anti-social elements.

It has now come to light that the family was also boycotted by their caste members, most of whom are Muslims. The family belongs to “nat” caste, which is identified as a dalit caste.



On Friday, Rahmat’s family was reportedly denied admission into a wedding ceremony of someone from the same caste. Local people told them that unless they accept Islam again, they will not be accepted by the society and no one will allow them to join public functions.

Disowned by their community, the family claims that they didn’t receive any benefits, such as a piece of land, or social support from people who converted them to Hinduism during the Gharwapasi event.

Coupled with such social boycott, apart from threats that they received earlier, the family thought it was better if they accepted Islam again to lead a normal life.

As a result, on Friday itself the family became Muslims again. Their “reconversion” was solemnized by a local Mufti and an official of Tanzeem Ulema, as reported by Dainik Jagran newspaper.

Apart from reading qalma to become Muslims again, the married members of the family were asked to marry again as their earlier marriage was deemed null and void due to their conversion to Hinduism.

The family will be formally announced assimilated into the society in a panchayat that has been called on 14th May by the nat community.

The incident has once again highlighted the politics behind conversions and reconversions, where religious conversions among the poor appears to be happening mostly due to financial reasons. Earlier some dalits in Rampur had claimed to embrace Islam to save their houses. This family too has been changing their religion to have such support.

It also shows how Hindu groups have been mostly ham-handed in organizing events like “ghar wapasi”. Without any social support, such programs are just made-for-media-and-made-for-outrage events.

 

[SamantK]

So Muslims will threaten and boycott those who converted to Hinduism, great tolerance.

 

[Kao Boy]

Well that should have happened, one can stop someone to follow religion from outside but not from inside. Your mind will be where your heart is and I believe they were destined to live as Muslim and I am glad that they will..

 

[hunter_hunted]

Well that should have happened, one can stop someone to follow religion from outside but not from inside. Your mind will be where your heart is and I believe they were destined to live as Muslim and I am glad that they will..

Words of truth ......

 

[Viva India]

Increase the money per head by ₹500

 

[Josef K]

Well that should have happened, one can stop someone to follow religion from outside but not from inside. Your mind will be where your heart is and I believe they were destined to live as Muslim and I am glad that they will..

Words of truth ......

But why force them? Did you read the reports from other news portals? Apparently this family was intimidated into converting back.

 

[Ryuzaki]

Any debates on this?

 

[Kao Boy]

But why force them? Did you read the reports from other news portals? Apparently this family was intimidated into converting back.

Weren't they intimidated initially for Ghar Waapsi?

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Its a good thing for family. Conversion for material gains wont last for long.

Hindutva groups should learn from Christian missionaries on how to not allow reconversion after gettting money

 

[Josef K]

Weren't they intimidated initially for Ghar Waapsi?

If it were so, wouldn't they have reconverted back by themselves once the hullaballoo was over, instead of having to be intimidated by their neighbors? And btw, Ghar Wapsi campaigners were accused of allurement and not intimidation.

 

[Kao Boy]

If it were so, wouldn't they have reconverted back by themselves once the hullaballoo was over, instead of having to be intimidated by their neighbors? And btw, Ghar Wapsi campaigners were accused of allurement and not intimidation.

whena Hindu group leader say we will convert all to Hindu by 2021 then dies that means lucrative offers and not by intimidating them?

 

[Josef K]

whena Hindu group leader say we will convert all to Hindu by 2021 then dies that means lucrative offers and not by intimidating them?

How is that related to the Ghar wapsi done here? By that logic did this family convert back because they were scared by the ISIS declaration that they will take over the world?

 

[Jaanbaz]

So Muslims will threaten and boycott those who converted to Hinduism, great tolerance.

Great tolerance indeed.

 

[SamantK]

Great tolerance indeed.

Hindus are bad anyways, we are baniyas, but Muslims are good right?