MALAPPURAM: A day after the announcement of Assembly election, IUML Malappuram district president Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal again came up with an explanation about his article on Hagia Sophia for which he faced severe criticism from various corners including from pro-Congress Catholic Church citing that he hailed the move of the Turkish Government to convert Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul to a mosque.
In a TV interview, he said his article was misinterpreted by some people and it was not written with an intention to hurt the feelings of the Christians. “I just tried to tell the people about the developments related to Hagia Sophia. I didn’t support government move to convert the museum to a mosque,” he said. He also said his family has always taken the stand to support Christian community.
“The UDF is firm on the stand that all minorities, including Christians and Muslims, should get due consideration in society. My father had helped Christian community to build a church in Malappuram town,” he added. After the article came out through the IUML mouthpiece in July 2020, Kerala Catholic Bishops Council spokesperson Fr Varghese Vallikkatt said IUML leader Sadiq Ali should have learnt history before hailing the encroachment of Hagia Sophia Church.
After the article sparked controversy, several groups in the state tried to project IUML as a party working against Christian community. However, IUML leaders have been working tirelessly to prove that they are not against Christians. As part of the measures, IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty visited several church leaders in the state after the recent local body elections. The League leaders even celebrated last Christmas at churches.