She was alleged to be the 'mentor' to K.M. Akhila (now Hadiya) during the latter's controversial conversion from Hinduism to Islam. She was also blamed to be behind the conversion of Athira Nambiar, another girl from Kerala who converted to Islam and adopted the name Ayesha. Ayesha, however, later returned to Hinduism.
But A.S. Sainaba, president of National Women's Front, the women's wing of Popular Front of India (PFI), refutes the allegations of 'love jihad'. “The terms love jihad is so humiliating to all women, especially Hindu women. By raising the allegations of love jihad, they are making women appear so vulnerable to the charms of any man,'' she said.
Excerpts from an interview:
How did you get connected with Hadiya?
I met her when she came to Satya Sarani. When she sought my help to learn more about Islam and to convert, I helped her. I felt it was my duty to help her both as a women activist and also as a Muslim. She had taken the decision to convert much before we met. My role was just to facilitate it.
She stayed at your home for more than an year.
Yes, she did stay with me after the conversion. That was because she had no other place to go. She did not want to go to her house in Kottayam after the conversion as she knew she would not be welcomed there. She did not to go to her college either as the attitude of her friends in college had changed after her conversion. So she stayed with me and I treated her like my daughter.
What do you remember about Hadiya from those days?
The most striking thing about her was that she had a strong mind of her own and had amazing clarity of what she wants to do with her life. At the same time, she was so simple in everything. She always wore subdued colours and never wore any ornaments. She wanted her marriage to be a simple occasion. She was very concerned about the deprived lot. Also, she was also very good at making handicrafts.
How did the marriage with Shafin Jahan happen?
When Hadiya came back from college and decided not to do house surgency, we could sense that she was feeling lonely. And that was also the time, we were looking for a groom for my own daughter. So we gave an advertisement in a web marriage portal called Way to Nikah. Hadiya's only condition was that the guy should be educated. When Shafin's proposal came, she liked him and said yes.
But the HC annulled that marriage.
Yes. But I repeat that there was no hidden agenda behind that marriage. It was a normal arranged marriage and the HC verdict was a sad thing to have happened. But I sincerely hope that they both will be together again.
You must have interacted with Asokan, Hadiya's father.
Yes, I have talked to him many a time. He is a nice human being. Once he told me to convince her to go back to him. Then itself I told Hadiya that she should not hurt the feelings of her parents. But she was very convinced that she did not want to go back. But I know for a fact that she loved her parents, especially her father, a lot. And he, too, loved her more than anything. Whatever he is doing now is a normal reaction of a father, though at times I do feel that he is now under the influence of some wrong elements.
There are allegations that you are the connecting link behind all love jihad cases in Kerala.
All these allegations of forced conversions are baseless. It is not possible to forcibly convert anyone in a state like Kerala.
Do you mean to say that there are no love jihads in Kerala?
As far as I know, there are no love jihads. In fact, I find the very term itself so humiliating. It is humiliating for all women, especially Hindu women. Those who coin the term should think twice before using it because it makes the Hindu women look so vulnerable before any good looking Muslim man. All women, especially Hindu women should oppose that term.'
