THRISSUR: Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar has urged political parties to take greater responsibility for preserving India’s secular fabric. Speaking at the inaugural session of the SYS Kerala Youth Conference in Thrissur, Kanthapuram stressed the urgent need to counter forces that spread communalism and hatred.
He urged people to reject divisive ideologies, pointing out that the majority of Keralites are committed to secular values. He cautioned against branding supporters of secularism as communal solely based on election results and advised against giving prominence to groups that have only negligible societal influence.
Condemning recent attacks on Christmas celebrations in various parts of India, Kanthapuram expressed concerns over the religious freedom of minorities in the country. He also extended solidarity with the victims of oppression worldwide, particularly minorities facing state-backed violence in Bangladesh and people of Palestine facing gruesome human rights violations under Israeli invasion. He reaffirmed the community’s commitment to standing with the oppressed, and ensuring justice to them.
Kanthapuram also highlighted the Sunni community’s historical alignment with India’s democratic and secular ideals, underscoring its dedication to pluralism and interfaith harmony. He reiterated Samastha’s strong opposition to regressive ideologies like Salafism and Political Islam, vowing to challenge these movements through intellectual and theological discourses. Despite ideological differences, he affirmed Samastha’s focus on unity and its unwavering support for those facing injustice.
The conference was inaugurated by prominent American scholar Yahya Rhodus. SYS state president Sayyid Twaha Thangal Saqafi presided over the function.