KOZHIKODE: Syed Mueen Ali Shihab Thangal, the son of late Syed Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal, has emerged as a firm supporter of Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama from the Panakkad family after Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal fell out with the Sunni organisation’s leadership over developments related to the Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC).
Samastha president Syed Muhammad Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal and general secretary K Alikutty Musaliyar have resigned from all their posts in CIC after Sadiq Ali Thangal ‘unilaterally’ announced the new general secretary for the CIC.
Abdul Hakeem Faizi, former CIC general secretary, had handed over his resignation to Thangal a few months ago, but no decision was taken. It is learnt that there was a consensus that Sadiq Ali Thangal will consult with the Samastha leadership before reaching a decision on Hakeem Faizi’s successor. But Samastha is disturbed that no such deliberations took place before he announced Habeeb Faizi as the new general secretary of the CIC.
Jiffiri Thangal said he resigned as member of the CIC advisory committee. Thangal urged the Samastha followers to go ahead with the activities of the Samastha National Education Council (SNEC), which is seen as an alternative system for the Wafy-Wafiyya courses offered under the CIC.
Meanwhile, addressing the Samastha leadership meeting in Palakkad on Wednesday, Mueen Ali said there was a ‘treachery’ behind the announcement of the new CIC secretary as the Samastha leadership was kept in the dark about it. “There will be more such cheating in future,” he said.
He said it was the Samastha that gave all the positions to members of the Panakkad family and there existed a special relationship between the two.
This relationship was maintained by members of the family, including Syed Muhammad Ali Shihab Thangal, Syed Umer Ali Shihab Thangal and Syed Hyder Ali Thangal.
“Samastha is the truth and members of the Panakkad family continue in the positions provided by the Samastha. Let us hope this relationship continues,” he said. Meanwhile, Syed Sabiq Ali Shihab Thangal, a member of the Panakkad family, too resigned from the CIC. He was the director of its finance committee.