Mosque officials in Kupwara release a written declaration stating that Vishal, now called Mohammad Hamza, had embraced Islam on his own
NEW DELHI — A case involving the religious conversion of a Hindu youth from Uttar Pradesh has drawn attention after the young man embraced Islam in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, with mosque officials stating that the conversion took place voluntarily and without coercion.
The case pertains to a young man identified as Vishal, a resident of Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh, who is now known as Mohammad Hamza after embracing Islam at a mosque in Kupwara district.
The matter became controversial after Vishal’s father, Krishna Kumar, approached police authorities in Bijnor and filed a complaint alleging forced religious conversion. Following the complaint, police in both Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh reportedly began examining the matter.
According to local reports, Vishal had been working for nearly one and a half years at a salon named Ghazi Hair Salon in the village of Glasdaji Manigha in Kupwara district.
Last Friday, Vishal reportedly embraced Islam at the village’s Markazi Jamia Masjid in the presence of locals, mosque officials and witnesses. Videos circulating on social media allegedly show the mosque imam guiding him in reciting the Islamic declaration of faith, known as the Kalima.
The mosque committee later issued a written declaration defending the conversion process and rejecting allegations of force or inducement.
According to the declaration, Vishal accepted Islam “of his own free will and understanding” on May 15, 2026, and adopted the Islamic name “Mohammad Hamza”.
The document stated, “Before the conversion, the young man was clearly asked whether he was accepting Islam due to pressure, greed, fear or compulsion. He publicly stated that he was embracing Islam voluntarily and without interference.”
The mosque committee said the declaration was prepared to avoid “future misunderstandings and unnecessary interference” and to preserve an official record of the conversion.
Local mosque officials said the conversion ceremony was conducted under the supervision of Qayum Ahangar in the presence of members of the local community.
The declaration also included the names of witnesses, including Mohammad Akram Konshi, Shahzad Pathan, Chaudhary Imtiaz Kataria and Kalimdeen Gujar, along with their contact details.
Villagers in Glasdaji Manigha claimed that Vishal had been living and working in the area for several months and had shown interest in Islamic teachings before converting.
One resident said, “He was working here peacefully. People in the village knew him. According to what we saw, he accepted Islam on his own.”
Another villager claimed, “Nobody forced him. He attended the mosque and interacted with local people regularly before taking this step.”
According to locals, Vishal was brought to the village by a salon owner named Bilal Ahmed, who runs Ghazi Hair Cutting Salon in the area. Villagers said Vishal had earlier worked in Baramulla district with another youth named Wasim, who is also from Bijnor.
As the matter gained attention, Wasim’s mother, Mohammadi, publicly denied allegations against her son. She claimed that Wasim had not been in contact with Vishal for the past two and a half years.
“My son has nothing to do with this conversion. They worked together earlier, but there has been no contact for a long time,” she reportedly said.
Villagers stated that Vishal first arrived in the village last year for work and stayed for several months before returning home during the winter. He later came back to Kupwara in March 2026 and resumed work at the salon.
Residents said he converted to Islam at the mosque soon after returning to the village.
The incident has led to political and social discussion on social media, with some groups raising allegations of forced conversion while local Muslim residents and mosque authorities insist the conversion was a personal decision protected under individual freedom of religion.
Police officials have not yet released a statement regarding the allegations made by the family. Authorities in Bijnor and Jammu and Kashmir are reportedly continuing their investigation into the complaint filed by Vishal’s father.
Meanwhile, local Muslim residents in Kupwara expressed concern over attempts to present every religious conversion involving Islam as suspicious without waiting for the outcome of investigations.
One resident said, “If an adult person chooses a religion by his own will, that decision should also be respected. The truth should come out through proper investigation, not social media campaigns.”
The case continues to attract attention both in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as officials gather statements and verify the claims made by both sides.
