Author: VR Jayaraj
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 29, 2009
URL: http://dailypioneer.com/198789/Islamists-on-conversion-campaign.html
Islamists in Kerala have launched an organised
campaign for converting girls belonging to other religions into Islam. Police
believe that Islamist organisation NDF (presently Popular Front of India)
and its student outfit Campus Front could be behind this campus-based campaign.
An investigation is presently on into the matter on the instructions of the
Kerala High Court.
Information about this planned campaign came
out in the open after two girls in an MBA college in Pathanam-thitta, who
had gone missing some days ago, were produced in the HC on a habeas corpus
petition. Girls told the court that they were taken to a place in Kozhikode,
where a group led by Campus Front activists Shehenshah and Sirajuddeen forced
them to convert into Islam and sign marriage contracts.
Lawyer Muhammad Ansari, who appeared in the
court for the Government, said there was a planned effort behind the forced
conversion of the girls into Islam. In a petition, Jacob Thomas of Pallikkal,
Kottarakkara, Kollam and K Madhavan of Peroorkada, Thiruvananth-apruam, parents
of the girls, had alleged that their daughters were detained by one Shehansha
of Pettah, Pathana-mthitta. Girls were doing a project after completing MBA.
The girls had left their homes informing the
parents that they were going to convert into Islam. However, when they were
produced in the court on the habeas corpus petition, they said that they were
forced to convert into Islam in a deserted house at West Chelari, Kozhikode
district where they were taken. Though the court sent the girls with their
parents, it ruled that they could be taken to their homes but no restriction
should be placed on their food and prayer.
According to Gopakumar, assistant commissioner
of police, Cantonment, Thiruva-nanthapuram, who is in charge of the investigation
into the campaign of the extremists to convert girls into Islam, as many as
940 girls had gone missing in Kerala in the past five years. He said the truth
behind these cases could be brought only after probe.
The police are now in the process of verifying
the reports that some Hindu organisations are preparing to counter the Islamists'
designs. A report regarding this would be submitted in the High Court early
next month.
However, sources in the police refused to
confirm reports regarding an Islamic group specialising in luring young girls
for converting into Islam. Reports had appeared in a section of the media
in January last that religious Romeos had converted more than 4,000 girls
through such designs.
