KOZHIKODE: Keralites know him as Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar, who leads one faction of Sunni organisation. However, for his acquaintances and followers in other parts of the world, he is Sheikh Aboobacker Ahamed.
The events connected to Nimish Priya, the nurse on death row in a murder case in Yemen, have given many an opportunity to know more about the influential Sunni scholar, who is well-connected to Muslim rulers, leaders and scholars around the world — former Yemen president Abdullah Swalih, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Sisi, former president Husni Mubarak, Waqf Minister Sheikh Usama al Azhari, Jordan King Abdullah bin Al Hussein and King of Morocco Muhammad VI are a few of them.
Kanthapuram also maintains good relations with Chechnya President Ramzan Kadyrov, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim and the ruling family in UAE, rulers of Uzbekistan and the Mecca governor. He is equally close to Islamic scholars Syed Muhammad Alavi Maliki and Syed Ramadan al-Buti, the same connection that helped him intervene in Nimisha’s case even after the Union government withdrew.
“Islam is a religion that gives prime importance to human beings and I contacted the Islamic scholars to remind them of this. There is a provision in Islam that a person who committed murder can be pardoned if victim’s relatives are ready to accept blood money. After deliberations, the authorities informed me that the death sentence has been temporarily stalled. I contacted scholars who command respect in Yemen,” Kanthapuram said.
The Sunni leader said he has informed the Prime Minister ‘s office about the developments. “I intervened in the issue as a human being. We don’t consider religion or caste in our dealings with society,” he said.