KOZHIKODE: Political differences in Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyathul Ulema have come to the fore with two members of the central mushawara (highest consultative body) taking divergent views on the threats faced by Muslims
Mushawara member Bahaudeen Nadvi, who is close to the IUML, said communists were against and are against religions, especially Islam. Nadvi said there is nothing to congratulate the LDF government for withdrawing from the move to hand over the postings in Waqf Board to the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“We came forward wholeheartedly to welcome the decision. None of the former scholars of the Samastha has done a similar thing. Such gestures will send wrong signals and create misunderstanding in society,” Nadvi said. (It may be recalled that Samastha president Syed Muhammad Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal had welcomed the decision and had thanked the government.)
Nadvi said there cannot be any compromise with communism. “Samastha leader Thenu Musliyar in Malappuram had torn the communist flag with his penknife and burned it,” Nadvi said. The Samastha leader said the aim of the new curriculum framework is to smuggle in atheism and irreligious ideology. “The main intention of LDF government in bringing a change in school timing is to disrupt the madrassa education among the Muslims,” he said.
But another mushawara member and Samastha secretary Umer Faizy said there is nothing wrong in supporting the communist government if that is beneficial for Muslims. The governments in Kerala and Tamil Nadu stood with the Muslims during the agitation against CAA, he said.
“If we offer support to the communist government in Kerala, it cannot be construed as our support to communism. We are supporting only those who supported us. Sometimes we need to support those who are in government,” he said.
Samastha president Syed Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal and general secretary K Alikutty Musaliyar had associated with some programmes of the government. “Some corners have alleged that they have turned left. Don’t call me ‘comrade Faizy’ because I said these things. People who are raising these allegations are, in fact, eyeing the other (communist) camp,” he quipped, indirectly referring to the IUML’s reported hobnobbing with the CPM.
Faizy said the greatest danger to Muslims in Kerala is deviant ideology propagated by Mujahids and the Jama’at-e-Islami. Though communism and Sangh Parivar are the enemies of Muslims, the main danger is from the elements inside the community. Samastha came into being to resist the forces like Mujahids, which are creating division in community, he said.