KASARAGOD: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said that everyone should join in the fight against the ideology of a theocratic state and communalism.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the Centenary International Grand Conference of the Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama at Kuniya in Kasaragod district, the chief minister pointed out that the efforts of the forces that want to impose an ideology of one nation, one culture, and one language can be resisted only by strengthening secular platforms. It may be recalled that the Samastha conference had adopted a resolution against the ideology of the theocratic state propagated by the Jama’at-e-Islami.
Pinarayi said the answer to communalists cannot be another form of communalism. “All secular forces should join hands in the effort to thwart the agenda of the communalists,” he said.
The chief minister said there are two kinds of Renaissance. “The European variety of Renaissance failed to achieve its goals because it questioned the validity of religions. The Renaissance in Islam is intellectual in its content and Prophet Muhammad himself was the leader of the Renaissance,” he said.
Pinarayi said the Muslim scholars in Kerala led the fight the against colonial aggression by ensuring the participation of both Hindus and Muslims. Even before Mahatma Gandhi could bring them together in the independence movement, there were people like Mamburam Thangal who fought against colonial forces and rallied these two communities under one fold to fight the British, he said.
Mamburam Thangal issued a fatwa against non-cooperation with the British, which was banned at the time.
The chief minister said Samastha has a rich legacy of working to uplift a society once bogged down by caste discrimination and untouchability.
Samastha urges ‘ghar wapsi’ of splinter groups
Samastha president Sayyid Muhammad Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal issued a call for unity during the concluding session of the centenary conclave. He said Sunni organisations that have broken away should return to the parent organisation, noting that the matter was discussed during the central mushawara meeting held in Kuniya recently.
Jiffiri Thangal urged individuals and groups to resolve their issues with Samastha. “Samastha is a vast organisation. Any attempt to belittle it will be painful for everyone. Everyone should strive to move forward together,” he said.
Saying that Samastha has decided to take up various projects, like Edu City, hospitals, and e-learning centres, he urged the state government and patrons to stand by them.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar also addressed the gathering. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, besides Islamic scholars from across the country and abroad, attended the event.
The Samastha centenary award was presented to entrepreneur Yusuffali M A during the occasion.