Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, leader of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), recently revealed to ABP News that many couples in live-in relationships are approaching them to convert to Islam and marry their Muslim partners. This trend has prompted the IMC to take note and respond accordingly.
“For the past two years, we had a policy to ignore conversion requests driven by greed or love. However, with the rise in live-in relationships, where cohabitation before marriage is not permitted in Hinduism, Islam, or any other religion, but remains legally unregulated, we’ve seen a shift,” stated Maulana Tauqeer.
Currently, there are 23 individuals, comprising 8 boys and 15 girls, who have expressed their intention to convert to Islam and have mutually consented to this decision. On July 21, a program is scheduled to facilitate the religious conversion and collective marriage of five such couples, providing them with social recognition. Maulana Tauqeer emphasized that permission has been sought from the City Magistrate of Bareilly for this event, though no response has been received yet.
“We are acting both legally and religiously, and this should not be misconstrued as ‘love jihad’ since these individuals are already in live-in relationships and have independently chosen their path,” he clarified.
The IMC has communicated to the City Magistrate that many young men and women, all of legal age and free from coercion or inducements, wish to convert and marry according to Islamic rites. The event is planned to take place at Khalil Higher Secondary School in Bareilly.
This move has sparked political debate in Bareilly, where inter-religious marriages are not uncommon. Maulana Tauqeer remarked, “Just as we do not oppose Muslims converting to Hinduism, no one should object to live-in couples embracing Islam.”
This development underscores the evolving dynamics of interfaith relationships in India, highlighting the intersection of personal choice and religious identity.
