Momin Khatun, a Muslim woman, wed Hindu Suraj in a temple in the Uttar Pradesh district of Azamgarh on July 14, 2022. At the occasion of the marriage, relatives of the boy’s family and activists from Hindu organisations were present in the temple. The couple has also talked with the police, who have reassured them of their security. The case, according to accounts, involves the vicinity of the police station in Atraulia. Suraj is a native of Haidarpur, whereas Momin Khatun is from Fatehgaon. They were involved for almost two years. Suraj was asked to convert to Islam by Momin Khatun’s family after they learned about their relationship but Suraj refused to convert. Momin Khatun ultimately made the decision to marry Suraj at all cost and so at a temple of Atraulia, both of them got married in a Vedic ritual. Only Surja’s family was present at the ocassion. Suraj to the media said, “We are marrying at our own will and we are not under any kind of pressure.”

 

Momin Khatun reportedly stated that she chose to wed Suraj and that she wanted to lead a happy life. When meeting the newlyweds, Inspector Rudrabhan Pandey, SHO of the Atraulia police station, stated that there is no law and order issue in this case. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s office-bearer for the Azamgarh district is Gaurav Singh. He said,” Momin Khatun has come to the Sanatan Dharma. She is welcome. Momin’s family members tried to pressurize Suraj to embrace Islam. But, Momin herself was happy to convert to Hinduism and get married to Suraj. She is like a sister to us and we respect her.” He took upon himself for the safety of the couple.

 

Suraj and Momin Khatun’s interfaith marriage did not sit well with the Islamists. At roughly 1.18 minutes into a 2.11-minute video posted on YouTube by the Halate Hal TV channel, the girl Momin Khatun is sermonised as she declares her departure from Islam. Her marriage is regarded as a rebellious act. In addition, it talks about the Quran and Hadiths and criticises the girl’s father for not stopping her from getting married to a Hindu. The girl was criticised by Mohammad Afzal, a member of the Young Muslim Council NRI Committee, for marrying outside of her religion. In a Facebook post, Mohammad Afzal wrote, “Even today, countless Muslims immersed in hell are not ready to wake up and even after seeing their girls go to hell in front of their eyes, they are neither awake nor faithful. Allah will award insults to such people who forget the decrees of their lord and choose the incorrect ways of shamelessness.”

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.