Incessant harassments drove a Muslim family in Bihar’s Begusarai district to convert to Hinduism on Tuesday. The head of the family, a lawyer by profession, Mohammed Anwar (a News18 report has published the name as Anbar) claimed that Bajrang Dal members convinced them to embrace Hinduism after his family was being forced to follow the Sharia law by Muslim hardliners.
In keeping with the Hindu rituals, the 46-year-old lawyer got converted into Hinduism along with his sons Mohammed Amir (11) and Mohammed Shabir (9). They have also adopted Hindu names. Now, Anwar is called Anand Bharti, and his sons have been renamed Aman and Suman Bharti. His wife, Shabnam, however, will convert later, says an Indian Express report.
Anwar told News18, “I am a liberal. I used to visit temples and mosques both, but hardliners in my community objected to it. I was threatened for participating in events organized by Hindus. Then, Bajrang Dal contacted me. They told me about Hinduism in detail, and I was convinced that Hinduism was not a religion but a way of life. So, I decided to follow their advice.”
Recounting the nightmarish episode to Indian Express, Anand said he was forced to go ahead with the conversion after about 40 Muslims threatened him on July 2 if he did not follow “basic norms of Islam”.
Anand claims he made the decision by himself and that his resolve to convert had not been influenced by anyone.
Anand said, “Though I have been living in Pokharia, Begusarai, for over 18 years amid 12 Muslim households in a Muslim-dominated area, a Syed family, which thinks itself as contractor of Islam, has been harassing me for last seven months, sometimes by saying that I hardly offer namaz and at times by leaving bones outside my house.”
Feature image source: Reuters