The National Dalit Christian Watch (NDCW) has expressed its “anguish and displeasure” against the Bishop of Pala, Mar Joseph Kallarangat of the Syro Malabar Church’s remarks suggesting that ‘Narcotics Jihad is being used to lure Christian Youth’. The NDCW has called those utterances “unwarranted, unethical and un-Christian” adding that the “disparaging remark has caused, not only an unprecedented controversy in the socio – religio- political spheres of Kerala and across India, but also has an adverse element of instigating all Religious Fundamentalist outfits, to take advantage of their Islamophobic perception and position.”

The group said that the damage now caused “could have been averted, provided the Church leadership has a proper perception on ‘religious freedom, hate speech, patriarchy, Casteism, Indian Constitution and also Universal Declaration of Human Rights’.” It highlighted that Indian Churches including the “the Roman Catholics, Mainline Protestants and the Independent-Charismatics, mainly in Kerala, have a unique heritage with distinct history and communities drawn from various cultural, caste and denominational backgrounds.” With such a back-drop, the remark made by a Church leader, “not only disturbs the sentiments of Christians mainly the Dalit Christians, who form majority within in Indian Christians, but also is detrimental to the very secular fabric of this great nation, which is known for its laudable Constitutional values” stated NDCW in its response to the ongoing controversy.

The NDCW stated that it “stands for ‘Caste Free Church, Ecumenism and Communal Harmony among all Faith based Communities’,” and “does not advocate the terms “Love Jihad and Narcotic Jihad”. Such terms, it said, go against “a particular religious sect, accusing it as the main reason for all what happens in this soil and elsewhere in the world in the name of religion.” Most importantly the NDCW has condemned those, who its says “safeguard the remark of the Clergy, with a justification that ‘The Bishop voiced this statement for protecting the Youth of Christian Community’, which is still worse, as it trespasses into the very liberty and freedom of youth, who have a ‘mind and choice’ to look for their life partner and lifestyle.” They state that such “supportive voices, affirm the ‘Patriarchal and Casteist’ mindset of the Clergy and also the Lay, who go against to the Christian Teaching and Faith that ‘All are Created in the Image of God’; There is ‘neither Jew, nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female-but all are ONE’.”

According to the group, “Protecting the Church and the Christian Community should be based on how the Clergy and the Lay inherit Christian insights and follow the Scriptural values and see that their ‘preaching and practicing go together’ and not through other means like making derogatory remarks.” It added that terms such as ‘Narcotic Jihad’, are against the Secular spirit of Indian Constitution that upholds religious harmony among its citizens and the bishop’s argument “Protecting our own Youth with such remarks” is also “against to the very principles that were enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution – ‘Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’ and also the Fundamental Rights ensured to its Citizen.” The group warns that such remarks can also have ramifications that can lead to the further marginalisation and oppression of religious minorities and other vulnerable communities. 

The NDCW has urged the Indian Church leadership to restrain themselves from making such “scathing attacks in the name of protecting their own community” and asked them to address the issue of ‘Caste based discrimination’.  

Related:

Kerala diocese apologises after its book sparks Muslim protest
The bogey of ‘Love Jihad’
Sections of the Kerala church getting dangerously communal?

The post Unwarranted, unethical and un-Christian: Christian group on Bishop’s anti-Muslim diatribe appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Even though the controversy and discussions over Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt’s ‘Narcotic Jihad’ remarks continue to haunt Kerala, another Church seems to have added fuel to the communal fire. According to media reports, a catechism textbook was published and circulated by the Syro-Malabar Church’s Thamarassery diocese, even though it allegedly contains “several defamatory and derogatory statements against Islam.” 

This lead to protests by several Muslim organisations, who asked the government to impound the book, reported Indian Express. The catechism book, is reportedly for students of classes X to XII, and allegedly also says that the so-called “love jihad” is reality, and according to IE, it “goes on to detail how Christian women are allegedly trapped.”

The catechism book calls it an “organised activity,” and warns the youth “against accepting invitations for events from Muslims, two-wheeler rides, and even visits to ice cream parlours.” Soon, after the protests, the diocese of Thamarassery was forced to tender an apology and “explained” that “the book was meant only to retain the youth within the Christian faith and protect women.” While this ‘apology’ itself needs to be questioned and debated, news reports stated that the diocese of Thamarassery had in its release claimed that 160 women of the diocese had been “trapped” in “love jihad”.

Activist, Jesuit priest and scholar Fr Cedric Prakash SJ prakash had explained the bogey of ‘Love Jihad’  as fueled by the Kerala Bishop who accused Muslims of making Catholic girls in the state victims of love and narcotic jihad, and the former Gujarat CM who wanted to take action against those who ‘trap innocent girls’, disregard the agency and wisdom of adult women.

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has been one of the crusades, educating the people against the illusion of ‘Love Jihad’ that has led violence and intimidation by police and non-state actors. “he ‘Love Jihad’ laws legitimise unconstitutional, anti-minority and misogynistic beliefs, and help further the hateful, communal agenda of extremists, and CJP has challenged anti-conversion  laws as they impinge upon the privacy, freedoms and autonomy of consenting adults.

On February 17, the Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde and also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, admitted CJP’s amendment to its original petition to include the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020 and Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019. CJP’s original petition had challenged the laws of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to be ultra vires of the Constitution on which the top court had issued a notice to the respective States on January 6, 2021. 

The laws have been challenged on grounds that it is discriminatory, anti-women, and contravenes the right to privacy and personal liberty of citizens by criminalising interfaith unions. Thus, CJP has prayed for the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act (2018), Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, Madhya Pradesh to Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020 and Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019 to be declared anti-Constitutional and struck down.

Related:

The bogey of ‘Love Jihad’
Sections of the Kerala church getting dangerously communal?
Who will decide how many children an Indian woman should bear?
Anti-conversion law will not apply to inter-faith marriages unless there is force, fraud

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