Distinguishing Conversion and Forced Conversion in India

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam

2 February 2024

The article delves into the distinction between conversion and forced conversion in India, with references to politicians, reports, and the Supreme Court, focusing on the Islamic perspective on forced conversion. This implies that several Indian states have enacted legislation prohibiting forced conversion; therefore, legislation is justified provided its real objective is to end forced conversion. Using this legislation to frighten, harass, target, or punish anyone who has voluntarily chosen to convert to another religion is against Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and the Indian Constitution.

Main Points:

1.    The debate over forced conversions in India has been a topic of debate.

2.    The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that forced religious conversion could jeopardize national security.

3.    The Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the right to convert. There is no room for forced conversion in any religion.

4.    Post-independence, charges against Christian missionaries and Muslim organizations have surfaced, claiming they are enticing Hindus to convert to their religions.

5.    The author assumes that if forced conversion has occurred in India as a result of the lure of money or deceit, it is a wicked and unlawful practice.

6.    Some historical accounts suggest occurrences of forced conversion leading to crypto-Muslims, crypto-Christians, and crypto-Hindus.

7.    In modern India, most people convert to another religion of their own free will, without feeling forced.

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A fundamental human right is the freedom to practice any religion. The Lord of the Universe has given this right, and human intellect has acknowledged it as a fundamental right everywhere.  This is a point where religious and non-religious sections may agree. So why does the debate over coerced and forced conversion arise from time to time?

Religious conversion discussions saw considerable controversy in 2022, especially about the northeastern, Southern, and Tribal States.

The Organiser, an affiliate publication of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accused Amazon, a worldwide e-commerce giant, of “sponsoring Christian conversions” in northeastern India to change the demographics of the region.  The statement appeared in the cover story of the November 2022 edition, "Amazing Cross Connection." The primary charge was that Amazon had been funding the operation of "conversion modules" in the region through "American Baptist Church (ABM)" (formerly known as American Baptist Mission, or ABM). Indian Express later reported that an Amazon India official denied the allegations. Muslim organisations have also been the subject of such accusations; in this case, a large number of well-known scholars and Ulama are still behind bars.

In the same year, the Supreme Court ruled that forced religious conversion was a serious problem that could jeopardise national security. The Supreme Court received a case from BJP politician and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The petition urged the Centre and the states to take tough measures to prevent fraudulent conversions using "gifts, threats, and the lure of money," along with a bill from the Law Commission on the matter. During the hearing, the Supreme Court declared that forced religious conversion is a very serious matter and that if it persists, a "very troublesome scenario" will arise.

Shortly after, discussions on this subject took place on many channels. Forced Religious Conversions: Myth or Reality? was the title of an NDTV debate on this subject. The debate was quite interesting, and the participants shared a tonne of information. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6yRKldPMIPs)

The Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the right to convert. This helps us to comprehend the distinction between conversion and forced conversion. As a secular democratic country, India allows individuals to change their religion without hindrance, ensuring that anyone can propagate their faith without hindrance. However, there is no room for forced conversion in any religion, nor does the Indian constitution permit it.

Many people are interested in learning about Islam's position on coerced conversion. They must realise that Islam is against forced conversion. There are no authentic proofs for forced conversion even during the centuries that Muslims ruled this country. Similarly, during the nearly 300-year British administration, there was no unique instance of coerced religious conversion. However, after independence, there have been charges against Christian missionaries that they are enticing Hindus with various amenities to become Christians, which is causing the population balance to decline. It seems as though these charges have surfaced in recent years, and Muslim organisations have also been included in these charges.

One must carefully review the proofs and evidence related to forced conversion in India to differentiate between forced and voluntary conversion. Thus, my case is rather straightforward: if forced conversion has taken place in India, then those are wicked and unlawful practices.

Furthermore, some statements suggest that historically, there was forced conversion, which explains why some people, especially in Russia and Spain, were crypto-Muslims. There have also been reports of crypto-Christians and crypto-Hindus. But in modern India, most people convert to a different religion of their own free will, which they frequently hide for fear of upsetting their families. No one religion is exclusive to this occurrence.  

Forcible religious conversion is currently illegal in several Indian states. Enacting legislation of this kind with the sole purpose of preventing forced conversion is a justifiable requirement. Furthermore, I believe that using this legal framework to harass and threaten people who have voluntarily chosen to convert to another faith is against both the spirit of Hinduism and the Indian Constitution.

There has been no discernible shift in the population due to religious conversion, according to a Pew Research Centre survey. Pew Research has found that religious conversion in India is rare and not part of a larger conspiracy to change India's demography from a Hindu-majority to a Hindu-minority state. The report acknowledges that religious conversion is undoubtedly occurring in India, but also notes that Hindus gain as many people as they lose through proselytization. The study also found that religious switching has minimal impact on the size or population of religious groups. If people move out of one religious group due to faith conversion, there is also a switch-over into the same religious group from other religious communities, resulting in a stable overall group size.

Forced Conversion From An Islamic Perspective

Islam defines religion as the belief that no one should be forced to adhere to a particular creed or set of ideas and that no one should experience prejudice or hardship because of their spiritual or religious convictions.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

“Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So, whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (2:256)

Islam regards freedom of belief as one of the most important human rights, and the holy Quran has many different verses attesting to an individual's right to follow any belief that pleases them. The reason for this is that the All-Powerful Allah has given man the capacity and liberty to select between faith and unbelief:

“And say, ˹O Prophet, ˺ “˹This is˺ the truth from your Lord. Whoever wills let them believe, and whoever wills let them disbelieve.” (18:29)

God Almighty provides His Messenger (peace be upon him) the same instructions: let the individual pick their belief or disbelief when the path of Truth and Goodness becomes evident.

Allah Almighty says,

“Had your Lord so willed ˹O Prophet˺, all ˹people˺ on earth would have certainly believed, every single one of them! Would you then force people to become believers?” (10:99)

Islam places a great emphasis on respecting human reason and conscience, including the freedom of belief. God endowed man with the ability to think and discern between right and wrong, granting people the freedom to choose between belief and disbelief in God and His commands. Since man is always free to choose, freedom is the antithesis of slavery.

Consequently, man bears accountability for both his deeds and the results they will bring about.

Allah says:

“Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit. And whoever does evil, it is to their own loss. Your Lord is never unjust to ˹His˺ creation.” (41:46)

Furthermore, the affirmation of religious freedom in Islam means the recognition of religious pluralism.

Islam guarantees freedom of thought and belief. Freedom of belief is a mandate that God has placed upon the believers. He initially taught His beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) this new human principle so that in his determination to uphold the Truth, he would not feel compelled to convert others to Islam, since Islam opposes forced conversion.

As a result, forcing someone to adopt Islam against their will is seen as hypocritical in Islam, and hypocrisy in Islam is met with complete disbelief. For this reason, invitations to Islam are extended based on consent and desire.

The Islamic stance is quite strong and unambiguous: it grants individuals the freedom to embrace any beliefs and thoughts they so choose, regardless of whether they are atheistic. This freedom does not apply if a man attempts to disseminate ideas that create disorder, and sedition, and go against national laws.

And in every country, anyone who challenges the fundamental order of the state faces punishment, which is typically capital punishment. Hence, according to Islamic law, an apostate is punished not for having been an apostate per se, but rather for having turned into an apostate in such a way that he incites disorder and rebellion by breaking the general rules of the state. However, no one can hurt him if he turns apostate without creating disorder and inciting people to commit rebellion against the state. Allah is well aware of the innermost thoughts of people.

Islam disapproves of violent organizations that attempt to convert others to their religion. Islam does not grant anyone the authority to penalize someone for disobeying religious obligations, nor does it grant any of its preachers the authority to make individuals undertake tasks against their will.

Therefore, it should be known that all people are equal in the sight of Allah and that the only things that set one person apart from another are piety and good deeds.

Religion is an inherent conviction that resists compulsion or outside pressure. Force and compulsion result in “hypocrites” rather than “believers”. Islam emphasizes the freedom of belief by stating in the Qura’nic texts that no human creature, not even the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), has the right to force others to embrace the Religion.

Allah Almighty says in this regard:

The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you reveal and what you conceal. (5:99)

At another place, Allah says,

You are not there to compel them to believe. (88:22)

Allah, the Exalted, has given the Holy Quran to the entire humanity, demonstrating complete tolerance and compassion while rejecting all forms of religious fanaticism and extremism. He has also sent His beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) as a guide for all people. Islam is a moderate religion whose teachings categorically reject all kinds of extremism, including the kind of extremism in matters of faith, belief, and thought. The holy Quran has established strict guidelines for defining this freedom, which Muslims must adhere to. They are required to respect the opinions of those who oppose them. Instead, it has made belief in all earlier heavenly religions obligatory for Muslims and has become a fundamental aspect of their creed.

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A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar), with a Sufi-Sunni background and English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. He has also done B. A (Hons.) in Arabic, M.A. in Arabic and M.A. in English from JMI, New Delhi. He is interested in Islamic Sciences; Theology, Jurisprudence, Tafsir, Hadith and Islamic mysticism (Tasawwuf).

 

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