Fear stalks lesbian couple in India’s Kerala who survived abduction, death threats from family

The High Court last week allowed Adhila Nassrin and Fathima Noora to live together after they were separated and tormented by their parents

But despite the legal victory, the ‘emotionally drained’ couple’s struggles are far from over in the largely conservative country which despises homosexuality

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A member of the LGBT community takes part in a 2018 pride parade in Chennai, India. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:37pm, 3 Jun 2022Updated: 12:37am, 21 Apr 2023

A Muslim lesbian couple in India is still living in fear despite a court last week allowing them to stay together following strong opposition from their parents who did not approve of their relationship in the largely conservative country where homosexuality is generally considered taboo.

Adhila Nassrin, 22, and Fathima Noora, 23, who are currently in a safe location in the southern state of Kerala, said their parents had emotionally blackmailed them by phone and some relatives even issued death threats.

The two women added that they want to start working and move on with their lives after the trauma they have been through since May 24 when Noora was abducted by her relatives and forced into conversion therapy – an unscientific technique to make gay people change their sexual orientation.

“We are feeling happy over the court verdict but we aren’t feeling free … inside the court, our families told the judge they would accept our relationship. But afterwards, they started calling and threatening us. It is going to be very tough for us,” Nassrin told local media.

Nassrin and Noora got into a relationship after their families moved to Saudi Arabia, where they studied at the same secondary school for a few years. When they returned to Kozhikode in Kerala, they wanted to live together but their conservative parents were against it.