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Statement

Denouncing “The Kerala Story” as Islamophobic and Inflammatory, Opposing Release in Canada

May 5th, 2023 

Justice For All Canada strongly condemns Bollywood film "The Kerala Story" for promoting anti-Muslim propaganda and Islamophobia. The film was released today in Indian theatres and wrongly purports that thousands of Hindu and Christian women from Kerala were forcibly “converted to Islam” and “recruited by ISIL”. This promotes the dangerous and false conspiracy theory of "love jihad" and “forced conversion”, both divisive government narratives used to demonize Muslims and inspire communal tensions in India. The film's untruthful claims only spread hatred and incite violence against Muslims, an already vulnerable minority in India. 

“It is dangerous to continue spreading misinformation in a country where NGO Genocide Watch has warned that propaganda contributes to early genocidal statges of Indian Muslims. After similar films such as “The Kashmir Files” and “Sooryavanshi” were unfortunately featured in Canada, we strongly urge Canadian streaming services and cinemas not to show this film on the grounds of hate speech and Islamophobia,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.  

The 2023 analysis from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) singled out India for religiously discriminatory policies, including laws targeting religious conversion, interfaith relationships, wearing of hijabs, and cow slaughter. This film advances the same discriminatory policies that the USCIRF report condemns. 

USCIRF’s report also highlighted ongoing state-complicit discrimination against Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis. 

Not shockingly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged his support for the movie during an election rally in Karnataka state. Such open support from BJP leaders only encourages the film’s discriminatory messages and exacerbates the vitriol against Muslims in India. Instead, Justice For All Canada urges Modi to address the root causes of propaganda. We urge Indian leaders to challenge the divisive ideology of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)—the right-wing parent organization of India’s BJP-ruled government responsible for promoting a Hindu supremacist agenda that allows for propaganda, hate speech and the incitement of genocide and mass violence against minorities. 

Anti-Muslim Propaganda in Hindi and Bollywood Films

Hindi movies have long been used as propaganda tools to influence public opinion on issues, and this film is no exception. Muslim groups and even political parties in Kerala and across India have challenged the film, with organizations like The Muslim Youth League offering a reward of 10 million rupees ($122,280) for evidence to back up false claims made in the movie. 

In recent years, human rights groups, including Justice For All Canada, have slammed the malicious representation of social and political issues in Bollywood movies, such as the portrayal of minorities and caste discrimination. 

“Love Jihad”

Human Rights Watch criticized the "love jihad" narrative as an example of anti-Muslim bigotry in India. According to Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch: “the 'love jihad' campaign is a toxic attempt to fan communal hatred and a sign of how law enforcement has been politicized under the current government."

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has also expressed concern about the growing trend of religious intolerance and discrimination in India, including promoting "love jihad" conspiracy theories. The OHCHR has called for measures to address these issues and encourage respect for diversity and human rights in the country.

​Previously, several state governments in India also concluded that Hindu nationalist groups invented the term to justify their discrimination against Muslims. 
​

Justice For All Canada calls on all people of conscience to join us in condemning this film and its promotion of hate and discrimination. We urge streaming services and cinemas in Canada and globally to stand against Islamophobia and refuse to show this film.​
Justice for All Canada
100-4310 Sherwoodtowne Boulevard,
Mississauga, Ontario, L4Z 4C4​
​[email protected]

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