Sorry state of Muslim organizations in Kerala
Inter-organisational rivalry among Muslims in Kerala is not a new phenomenon. Being one of the most enlightened of communities, the intellectual progress of the global Muslim Ummah are part and parcel of the progress of Muslim organisations and groups in Kerala. It also embodies the schism and rift in fundamental aspects regarding Islam we see globally among Muslims. Unlike the caste-based social setup of Indian Muslims, caste or sect is almost absent among Muslims in Kerala and it does not dictate the formation of social or political organisations. Intellectual progress however need not translate to wisdom among its leaders. The fitnah of Muslim community in Kerala is the politics between various Muslim organizations.
It was our hope that inter-organisational rivalry would subside in the present genocidal age where the existence of Muslims are in itself hated and despised in a society inflicted with Islamophobia. However, the recent events and behaviour of various leaders from different organisations has brought back the disunity of Muslims to the limelight again. It has become more prominent recently after relatively a period of slumber after a video of a prize distribution ceremony conducted by Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyatul Ulema (All Kerala Ulema organization, Sunni EK fraction)[i] got circulated among anti-Islam propogandist atheist groups in social media. In the video, a 10th std. Madrassa girl is invited to the stage full of men by the event anchor, the girl reaches the stage and receives her prize. Meanwhile one of the Samastha scholar, MT Abdullah Musliyar is heard reprimanding other men and questioning them ‘who invited a 10th std. girl to the stage contrary to the decision of Samastha against the already declared gender segregation norm’? His comments came through the mic after the girl had left the stage with her prize. This became another rallying cry for the Islamophobic secular-liberal spaces within the state with news channels debating for several days on their favourite fancy topic of ‘Women oppression in Islam’, marriage of Aisha (R.A), the simile of farm in Qur’an (and what not?) with guest speakers known for their Muslim hatred and Islam bashing. It is not an exaggeration to inform this level of uproar is impossible to see for any rape or women abuse case in which non-Muslims are the accused,[ii] although such an analogy for the situation here with sexual abuse is irresponsible. This is related nevertheless to point out the Islamophobic content of liberal-secular society and the media in the state (which is also the reality around the globe, hence nothing to be surprised).
But since the media witch hunt is not a new reality globally and especially in Indian media, which are infamous for their kangaroo trials on Islam in prime-time debates, the response and the press conference conducted by the Samastha EK fraction is what triggered other Muslim organizations in the state. In the press conference, the group defended the behaviour of M.T Abdullah Musliyar in a self-ridiculing way. Although this article is not intended to delve into the particulars of that issue or Islamic jurisprudence on gender segregation, I intend to bring forth the problem of unwise behaviours of the leaders. During the press conference called for ‘clearing out the misconception of the public regarding the issue’, the speakers did not highlight the Islamic norms of segregation and in order to gain acceptability for their illogical explanation, put the Islamist organizations in Kerala under the bus. One of the leaders of Samastha, Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal promptly added that Samastha has always opposed and never appreciated ‘communal’ and other groups espousing ‘extremist’ ideologies (alluding to Jamat-e-Islami Hind and Social Democratic Party of India, SDPI) using the same Islamophobic terms with which secular-liberals including far-right Hindutva appropriates any Muslim organisations. As a Muslim organization Samastha would be clearly aware of the hate and wrong propaganda against Muslims despite our political ideology, nor should it be naïve to think that only JIH or SDPI are considered communal or Islamist. For the liberal far-right in India and the world, any devout practicing Muslim is an Islamist and our practical expressions of belief Islamism. It is also an ‘accepted’ perception among center-left liberals that any organization that is run by Muslims with majority Muslim followers are communal, implying the Islamophobic and false appropriation of the term communal. The political affiliation of the EK Samastha fraction is considered the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) formed in 1920’s and this party too despite its participation in electoral politics for decades and allyship with several nationalist liberal secular parties is still branded as communal. Thus, amidst this reality, what does it convey of the behaviours of Samastha scholars and leadership, if not their selfishness and betrayal of Muslim Ummah?
While there was no necessity for conducting a press conference to explain a trivial issue overblown by liberals when no Muslim organization including Samastha never bothered to conduct a press conference to highlight or criticize Islamophobia and recent anti-Muslim lie filled hate campaign by Savarkarite atheists[iii] and Catholic Christian groups in the state. Nevertheless, instead of confidently resolving the stage issue in front of the media as a matter of imposition of gender segregation norms in Islam as is explained by another Samastha member in a Facebook post, those scholars tried to court the Islamophobic secular-liberal media personnel on their side by opposing other Muslim organizations. Syed Jifri Muthukoya also specifically recalled a court order regarding SDPI and said, “we people had opposed these groups much earlier. In that regard, we are an organization which work considering the well-being and interests of this country, as if other Muslim organisations are working against the interests of India. Such a level of irresponsible and treacherous position even at a time of heightened Muslim persecution is not only vile but enables enemies of Islam to oppress us more. It was appalling to see the response of various Muslim organisations. What followed this press conference was another low esteem bickering and opposition. Salafi groups in Kerala generally known as Mujahid group, conducted a press conference attacking the ‘anti-women’ policies of Samastha and used the opportunity to explain how they are different from the ‘orthodoxy’ of the formers. Leaders from other groups like Jamat-e-Islami gave interviews to Islamophobic liberal media’s further arguing women empowerment along liberal ideals and norms. Every group misused the crisis to further their own group’s policies by disapproving the policies of other organization amounting to an irresponsible level of appealing to the liberal-secular public consciousness. This is not clearly what wise Muslim leaderships should do in any situation, let alone during the peak of Islamophobia and hate campaign against Islam by liberals in the state.
Issues and controversies like this have to be discussed within the Ummah in order to find common grounds. Appealing to the Islamophobic public consciousness by attacking fellow Muslim organisations make it easy for our enemy to create more crack among us. All these sickening episodes reminds me that, the trials Muslims are put into by Allah globally are here to persist for some time long. For Allah has warned us in his final revelations;
“Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your hands have wrought, and for many of them He grants forgiveness.” [Qur’an, 26:31]
[i] The undivided Jamiyyatul ulema kerala is an organization of sunni scholars following the shafi’ madh’hab founded in 1921. The group got split into two groups, the AP group and the EK group that exist until today. The organization also is an educational board maintaining several madrassas and Islamic colleges across India.
[ii] Unless it is a high profile rape case, but here too the religion and scriptures of the accused will not be put on the kangaroo trial by media.
[iii] These are atheists who are supporters and proponents of Hindutva ideology in the label of ‘free thinkers’. They are constantly whitewashing the anti-Muslim persecution of any far-right govt. across the world as well as justifies the incarceration of Muslims in east Turkestan by far-left Chinese government. Politically they are Hindutva ideologues.
