MALAPPURAM: LDF MLA K T Jaleel’s remarks that a majority of those involved in gold smuggling at the Karipur airport are Muslims and that Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal should issue a fatwa (religious directive) urging the Muslim community to distance itself from the illegal activities have triggered a major controversy.
IUML leaders, including national organising secretary E T Muhammad Basheer, state general secretary P M A Salam and Muslim Youth League general secretary P K Firos, have demanded an apology from Jaleel for ‘dragging a whole community’ into the gold smuggling issue.
Salam wanted to know as to what is the stand of CPM state secretary M V Govindan on the issue.
IUML leaders feel that Jaleel was trying to give credence to what Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said about Malappuram district and the illegal activities.
“Jaleel, who is totally sidelined in the CPM, is trying to appease the party bosses. Even the BJP and RSS didn’t do what Jaleel has done now,” Salam said.
Congress leaders A P Anilkumar, Rahul Mamkoottathil and Shafi Parambil also condemned Jaleel’s remarks. Shafi said India is not a theocratic state to counter criminal activities with a fatwa.
“India is a democratic country, and here, illegal activities should be countered legally,” he said. Mamkoottathil said CPM is not restraining Jaleel because he is speaking on behalf of the party too. Senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan also came out against the MLA’s ‘fatwa’ remark, saying it’s an insult to the Constitution.
Jaleel, however, was unmoved by the criticism and reiterated his stand on Sunday.
Jaleel’s remarks an insult to the Constitution: BJP leader Muraleedharan
Speaking to reporters following the IUML leaders’ reaction, Jaleel reiterated his stand and said some persons within the community believe that working as gold carriers and hawala money couriers is not a crime under the religious law.
“If Thangal issues a directive asking people to stay away from gold smuggling and other illegal activities, they will heed to it. Most of those arrested for smuggling gold through Kozhikode airport are Muslims. I asked Thangal to issue the directive because he is a Qazi of several mahals,” he said.
Jaleel said Thangal has a responsibility to guide the Muslim community. “When such issues arise in other communities, their leaders should also issue directives to guide people. “As a member of the Muslim community, I can only address matters concerning my own,” Jaleel said.
He said an Islamic scholar was arrested for smuggling gold through the Kozhikode airport some years ago. “He continues to serve as a top leader of a religious organisation backed by the IUML. This shows that even leaders of religious organisations do not consider gold smuggling as a serious issue. I will reveal the name if the IUML leadership pushes me further,” Jaleel added.
On the ED probe against him, Jaleel recalled how the IUML targeted him, citing the probe.
“The IUML didn’t defend. Instead, they seized the opportunity to attack me, disregarding my religion,” he said.
The CPM has not yet reacted to Jaleel’s remarks. The party cannot overlook the growing resentment within the Muslim community against it even from groups like the Kanthapuram faction of Sunnis, which has been supporting the party for long.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan said Jaleel’s ‘fatwa’ remark is an insult to the Constitution. The former union minister also termed the silence of the CPM on the matter as ‘shocking’.
On Jaleel’s fatwa remarks, Muraleedharan said there were laws in the country that laid down punishment for unlawful activities like smuggling.
“The basis of such laws is the Constitution, not some religious law,” he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.