In India, Conversion Law Is Used By Hindu Family To Oppose Daughter's Marriage

The Times of India on Saturday reported on a case in which parents in Ahmedabad (in Gujarat state in India), unhappy with their daughter's choice of husbands, are attempting to use Gujarat's Freedom of Religion Act that aims at coerced conversions to undo or undercut the marriage.  The bride, from a Hindu family, converted to Islam before her marriage last October to her Muslim husband.  In November, the bride's mother filed a complaint with the police claiming that her daughter did not obtain the required permission from the district collector to convert to another religious faith.  On Dec. 22, the daughter and the Muslim scholar who converted her were arrested, placed in custody and denied bail.  A hearing in the case is scheduled for today in the city sessions court. The daughter claims she filed an affidavit before the marriage stating she was not forced into conversion. She plans to challenge the Religious Freedom Act's provisions on conversion. (See prior related posting.)