Kerala

Only Popular Front helped me: Hadiya

Coming down heavily on Muslim organisations Jamaat-e-Islami and Tarbiyyath, Hadiya said they did not support her in embracing Islam. 

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KOZHIKODE: Hadiya, who came to Kerala after earning a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court on her marriage with Shefin Jahan, on Saturday stirred up another controversy by coming down heavily on Muslim organisations Jamaat-e-Islami and Tarbiyyath, saying they did not support her in embracing Islam.

"Both Jamaat-e-Islami and Tarbiyyath refused to help me when I approached them with my desire to embrace Islam. It was only the Popular Front of India (PFI) which stood by my side and later helped us fight the case legally in the apex court,” Hadiya told reporters after calling on the PFI leaders here along with Shefin.

“When I decided to embrace Islam, I approached a lot of Muslim organisations to help me. But when my issue became a controversy, they joined my critics,” she said. Hadiya expressed happiness with the apex court's verdict that annulled the Kerala High Court's order, which had nullified her marriage to Shefin.

 “I’m really happy now. I’m free today. I’ve been longing to see the people whom I love to meet. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the PFI for standing by my side when others sidelined me or refused to help me,” she said. “It’s the right of a person to choose a religion.

I don’t know why my marriage became a controversy or topic of discussion. I think it was because I embraced Islam. Isn’t it right to embrace a religion of one’s liking? Do people need to pass through criticism and traumatic conditions to follow the religion of their choice?” she asked. Shefin said they “need to return to Chennai after three days as Hadiya has to continue with her studies.” PFI state president Nasaruddeen Elamaram said Hadiya’s was just one among the many cases they had taken up. “We’ll help them to the hilt,” he said.

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