India's supreme court on Monday restored the liberty of a young woman who was ordered confined to her parents' home after they claimed she had been radicalised because she converted to Islam and later married a Muslim man.
The judges' decision was delivered after hearing testimony from Hadiya Shefin, 24. The court had asked her father, K M Ashokan, to bring her to the capital so that judges could listen to her in person instead of hearing only his views
Ms Shefin had been kept isolated in her parents in Kottayam, Kerala since May 25 on the orders of the high court in the state, which also annulled her marriage. She was denied visitors and access to a phone and the internet.
"I want my freedom," Ms Shefin told the supreme court judges on Monday as she answered their questions in calm, measured tones. She also said repeatedly that she wanted to see her husband, Shefin Jahan.
The judges did not make a decision on that request, but ordered that her forced confinement and her father’s custody of her should end and that she should be allowed to continue her studies to become a homeopath. They scheduled the next hearing of the case in January, when they will consider whether the annulment of her marriage should be overturned.
Ms Shefin's case has been cited as an example by right-wing Hindu groups who allege that Islamist extremists in Kerala have been brainwashing Hindu women into marrying Muslim men as part of a "love jihad" and by conservatives who believe a father knows what is best for his daughter. On the other side, women’s activists say it reflects social bias and control of women, while liberals worry that inter-faith marriages will no longer be possible without the threat of legal action.
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Read more:
Couple separated as Indian authorities look into 'love jihad' conspiracy
India 'love jihad' claims fuel Hindu-Muslim tensions
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Ms Shefin converted from Hinduism to Islam in 2015 while studying in Salem in Tamil Nadu state and changed her name from Akhila Ashokan. She married Mr Jahan in December last year after they met through a matrimonial website. Her father then went to the Kerala high court to demand that his daughter be placed in his custody, claiming that she had been indoctrinated.
The high court annulled Ms Shefin's marriage in May, calling it a "sham", and bundled her off to her parents’ home despite her express wish not to return. The decision drew protests from women’s rights activists who said they were shocked that an adult woman was being treated as a minor who did not know her own mind and was being confined to her father’s custody.
The high court judges said Ms Shefin was “weak and vulnerable, capable of being exploited in many ways” and that “her marriage being the most important decision in her life, can also be taken only with the active involvement of her parents”.
Mr Jahan appealed to the supreme court in July to restore his marriage, calling the annulment "an insult to the independence of the women of India".
On August 16, the supreme court asked the National Investigation Agency, which investigates terrorism cases, to look into whether Ms Shefin’s conversion to Islam was free or part of a “love jihad”.
The agency told the court on Monday that the case was not an isolated one, nor a simple matter of a woman making her own choices, but one of many "forced conversions" in Kerala by extremist groups with links to ISIL. It alleged that Mr Jahan had been in contact with ISIL recruiters.
Shyam Divan, lawyer for Ms Shefin's father, said there was a “huge organisational apparatus operating in Kerala ... to radicalise young impressionable minds".
The case has triggered a nationwide debate about individual liberty, parental control and "love jihad". Rahul Easwar, a social activist who managed to briefly film Ms Shefin inside her father's house, said in August that she was "being treated like a sick woman and being tortured".
His video ends abruptly as Ms Shefin says: “If my head or any part of my body hits somewhere and I die…’’
Her insistence that she is a Muslim and wants to be with her husband has been drowned out by all the groups who have weighed in with their own opinions.
Before boarding a flight to New Delhi on Monday, she told reporters: "I am a Muslim. I was not forced. I want to be with my husband.”
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.
The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company%20Profile
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The%20Witcher%20-%20season%20three
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
THE%20SPECS
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Company%20Profile
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1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
