Several cases of ghar wapsi have been reported from different parts of the country in the recent past, with Muslims relinquishing their religion and embracing Santan Dharma. However, a case of forcible conversion of a non-Muslim by his employer has now surfaced in Srinagar (Kashmir). The Jammu & Kashmir Police (JKP) has filed a case against Anayat Muntazir, a resident of Nowhatta (Srinagar), for allegedly forcing his servant Sandeep Kumar to adopt Islam.
On Friday (April 6), Sandeep, working as domestic help at the house of Anayat Muntzir of Nowhatta in Srinagar, was taken to Hazratbal Dargah and forcibly converted during a brief ceremony. A video of Sandeep reciting kalma (the ritual associated with the conversion of a non-Muslim to Islam) went viral by late evening in many WhatsApp groups and on Facebook. The video was also shared widely on other social media platforms.
The video footage of the conversion incident gained traction on various social media platforms, particularly Facebook, sparking widespread concern, according to the police. “We have registered FIR no. 55/2024 at Police Station Nigeen under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including disobedience to lawful order, deliberate intent to wound religious feelings, giving provocation with intent to cause riot, and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc,” a police officer said.
Many of the videos relating to the incident are available on the Internet. As the word spreads, this incident has the potential to cause serious problems in the coming days. According to the FIR, the person named Sandeep Kumar is a resident of Haryana, and he was forced to embrace Islam during Friday prayers. It may be mentioned here that April 5 was the last Friday before Eid, called Jumat ul Vida, and considered a very special day among Muslims.
https://youtu.be/WQX8GKWyXKk?si=NSMs-Md98QtJh8zk
“The dissemination of this video has led to public unrest and raised apprehensions about religious harmony and tolerance. It has also drawn reactions beyond the borders of Jammu and Kashmir, potentially fuelling sectarianism and communal discord,” the complaint lodged at the Nigeen Police Station said.
The FIR also says: “Further investigation revealed that Sandeep was allegedly mentally manipulated by the owner of the house, Anayat Muntazir, a resident of Nowhatta, who employed Sandeep as a domestic worker at his home in Srinagar. Anayat reportedly took Sandeep to the Hazratbal shrine, where he allegedly coerced him into reciting the kalma during congregational prayers to convert his religion.”
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The video shows a cleric asking Sandeep whether he was accepting Islam consciously as per his free will or under a threat or intimidation. Wearing a yellow T shirt, Sandeep is shown as saying in the video: “No, by my own sweet will”. After he recites the kalma, the cleric informs Sandeep that his new Islamic name would henceforth be Muhammad Abdullah.
The police has, however, termed it as a case of “forced conversion”. Section 188 (disobedience of a public order), 298 (uttering words to deliberately wound religious feelings), 153 (provocation to cause riot), and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) have been invoked in the FIR. The police have urged the public to remain calm as the investigations have started. It is not clear where Sandeep (renamed as Muhammad Abdullah) has been kept now after the registration of the FIR against his employer.
When Sandeep was allegedly coerced into conversion on Friday, thousands of people visited Hazratbal Dargah. Khateeb Kamal Farooqi of the Hazratbal shrine was present during the conversion ceremony, besides the Imam of the dargah. It needs to be mentioned here that affluent families in Kashmir often hire domestic helps through personal contacts, or through employment agencies. These servants come from far-off places like Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, etc. and are hired through agencies in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
