An ad showing the Hindu-Muslim marriage of jewelry brand Tanishq sparked a backlash on the internet, with netizens claiming that it promoted ‘Love Jehad’, a term used to define Muslim men who marry Hindu women. Tanishq withdrew the ad after the controversy, but the debate is not over.
Now, the mention of Charlie Hebdo has also entered the debate and is trending on Twitter. Charlie Hebdo is a French satirical magazine known for making satirical comments on political and religious leaders. A cover of the 2011 issue was titled Charia Hebdo (in French for Sharia Weekly) and featured a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, whose depiction is prohibited in most interpretations of Islam. The cartoon was condemned by religious leaders.
READ ALSO: What is happening to us? Tanishq withdraws ad about Hindu-Muslim couple after outrage on Twitter
In 2015, two gunmen associated with an extremist group opened fire on its Paris headquarters. Twelve members of the magazine’s staff died while 11 others suffered injuries. In another attack, a third gunman shot dead a policewoman. He got wet to attack a Jeiwsh store where four people were killed.
In total, 17 people lost their lives over three days. This attack marked the beginning of a wave of Jehadist attacks in Europe in which 250 people were killed.
The mention of Charlie Hebdo started when a Twitter user asked what would happen if the story were reversed in the ad to show a Muslim woman marrying a Hindu family.
Would Tanishq face a similar backlash if he had reversed religions in his ad?
– meetasengupta (@Meetasengupta) October 12, 2020
The comments that followed invoked the Charlie Hebdo shooting incident, adding fuel to the already polarized debate.
They show the so-called religious harmony in India in the name of artistic freedom, but they do not support Charlie Hebdo … The Indians have now opened their eyes. https://t.co/yjNJvbD2jE
– आदित्य सिसौदिया Aditya Sisodiya (@ AadityaSisodiy5) October 13, 2020
The commercial was criticized by a certain section of Internet users, who claimed that the ad promoted ‘love jihad’. Love Jihad or Romeo Jihad is a conspiracy theory that alleges that Muslim men attack women belonging to non-Muslim communities to convert them to Islam by feigning love and marrying them.
The commercial is part of Tanishq’s ‘Ekatvam’ current holiday season collection. The clip, which was recently shared as part of the same collection, began to circulate on social media, especially Twitter, and a certain section of users objected. #BoycottTanishq began to be a trend on social networks, particularly Twitter, from Monday morning.
In the ad for the jewelry brand, a Hindu woman who is married to a Muslim family is ready for her baby shower. It has been shown that her in-laws did everything they could to make their Hindu daughter-in-law feel comfortable by performing Hindu rituals.
Tanishq’s commercial description reads: She is married to a family that loves her like their own son. Just for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they normally don’t. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions and cultures.
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