Samastha defends cleric's right to preach amid Kerala row
The Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama faction defends Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar's right to preach, as a controversy over his remarks limiting women's public participation widens into a debate on religious authority and political intervention.
A rival faction within a major Islamic scholars' body has defended cleric Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar's right to preach, shifting a controversy over women's participation into a debate on religious authority. The row began with a circular from Kanthapuram and Samastha president E. Sulaiman Musliar on Islamic norms for Milad celebrations marking the Prophet Muhammad's 1,501st birth anniversary.
Syed Mohammed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, who heads the rival Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama based in Chelari, broke his silence on September 2, 2026. He stated religious scholars should not be attacked for explaining teachings to followers.
Political reactions and divisions
Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had earlier rejected Kanthapuram's position, calling it a misinterpretation of Islam and stating the state's progressive tradition could not accept restrictions on women in public life. His stand angered sections of the traditional Sunni community, whose leaders met him on September 2 urging reconsideration. Satheesan is understood to have assured a more restrained approach.
Leaders from the CPI(M) and Congress had also criticised the initial remarks. CPI(M) leader Paloli Mohammed Kutty said religious leaders should advise men, not women, on gender equality. However, the CPI(M) leadership has not taken a formal position, with internal figures like T.K. Hamza stating he neither supported nor rejected the remarks and warning religion should not be misused for political gain.
Cautious and defensive stances
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) adopted a cautious line. Its president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal defended Kanthapuram, suggesting he may have been speaking from concern for women's safety. IUML State Secretary Abdurahman Randathani echoed this, stating the remarks should not be seen as opposition to social progress.
Former Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel also defended Kanthapuram's right to speak, noting the cleric was addressing his followers. However, Jaleel used the occasion to attack the IUML, claiming it never bothers about Muslim unity when in power.
Wider Muslim opinion and the debate's evolution
Muslim opinion remains divided. Liberal voices like M.N. Karassery and P.K. Fazal Ghafoor have criticised Kanthapuram. Others have defended him, including young scholar Basheer Faizy Desamangalam from the rival Samastha faction, who accused fascists and ultra-secularists of exploiting one statement.
Former MLA P.V. Anvar warned against turning the issue into a political confrontation. The intervention by Jifri Thangal, as head of a rival Samastha faction, signifies the controversy's expansion beyond the original remarks to the core question of a religious scholar's right to preach his interpretation.
