Saif Ali Khan condems 'love jihad', says 'intermarriage is India'

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has taken a strong stand against the concept of 'love jihad' that has stirred a lot of controversy in the country recently. Condemning the theory, the actor said that intermarriage is not 'love jihad' but an aspect of the Indian culture. 

In a compelling article in the Indian Express, Saif talks about his roots - of being born to cricketer Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore, a marriage that was also the union of two religions. Recalling how his parents had received death threats, he says, "It wasn’t peacefully accepted by anyone, initially, when my parents wanted to marry. The royals had their issues; the Brahmins theirs. And, of course, extremists on both religious sides issued death threats. But the marriage still happened — the fact that my grandmother also had to fight to marry the not-as-wealthy and therefore not-so-suitable nawab of Pataudi might have helped things along", Saif said.

He also recounted facing a similar situation while tying the knot with Kareena Kapoor, two years ago. "When Kareena and I married, there were similar death threats, with people on the Net saying ridiculous things about “love jihad”. We follow whatever religion or spiritual practice we believe in. We talk about them and respect each other’s views. I hope our children will do the same," he said. While inter-religious marriage has always been looked at askance by a particular section that preaches communalism, there is another fraction of society that has accepted it.  

Targeting the pre-conceived notions about Islam, Saif also questions those who believe in the concept of 'love jihad' and their definitions of religion and faith. At a time when our country is making rapid strides to the Moon and even Mars, we are still plagued with the ills of communalism and casteism. "I know good people are scared of marrying their daughters to Muslims. They fear conversion, quick divorces, multiple marriages — basically, it suits the boys a bit more than the girls. All this is undoubtedly outdated. A lot of Islam needs to modernise and renew itself in order to be relevant. We also need a loud moderate voice to separate the good from the evil. Islam today is more unpopular than it has ever been. This is a great shame to me, as I have always thought of Islam as the moon, the desert, calligraphy and flying carpets, the thousand and one nights. I have always thought about it as a religion of peace and submission. As I grew older, I saw religion twisted and used so badly by men that I distanced myself from all man-made religion. I choose to be as spiritual as I can be."

Denouncing discrimination on the basis of one's religion he said, "I don’t know what “love jihad” is. It is a complication created in India. I know intermarriages because I am a child of one and my children are born out of it. Intermarriage is not jihad. Intermarriage is India. India is a mix. Ambedkar said the only way to annihilate caste is intermarriage. It is only through intermarriage that the real Indians of tomorrow can be truly equipped to take our nation forward with the right perspective. I am the product of such a mixed marriage and my life has been full of Eid and Holi and Diwali. We were taught to do adaab and namaste with equal reverence."

Adding that India needs a lot more than mere tolerance, Saif said that he has raised his children without instilling age-old norms in them. "My children were born Muslim but they live like Hindus (with a pooja ghar at home), and if they wanted to be Buddhist, they would have my blessing. That’s how we were brought up", he says. 

Although our country and its Constitution bats for secularism, Saif lamented that 'secular India' is a myth. India has failed to separate "religion from the law", he said. "To make matters worse, different laws apply to different people, making it impossible for us to think as one. There are different laws for Hindus and different laws for Muslims. This is bound to create trouble", Saif said as he targeted the different unequal practices that are prevalent in today's day and age.

Speaking up for mixed marriages, he said, "The good news is that no one needs to convert from their religion to get married. The Special Marriage Act, when applicable, is the paramount law of the land. If you marry under this, it is upheld over any religious law. It is truly secular."

Questioning the existence of several Gods, Saif concluded saying, "I stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy first, then Santa Claus, and finally, I really don’t know what I feel about a personal god. But I believe in love and in trying to be good and helping the world. I don’t always succeed and then I feel bad. My conscience is my god, I think, and it tells me that one tree in Pataudi near which my father is buried is closer to god than any temple, church or mosque".