Call for campaign in mosques triggers row

Against Waqf Board posting decision

December 01, 2021 08:58 pm | Updated 08:58 pm IST - Kozhikode

The decision of a coordination committee of various Muslim organisations to hold an awareness campaign in mosques on Friday against the State government’s move to entrust Waqf Board recruitments to the Public Service Commission (PSC) has drawn a sharp reaction from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The coordination committee, a forum of leaders of various Muslim organisations, met here the other day under the initiative of the Indian Union Muslim League. .

The CPI(M) State secretariat in a statement in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday took strong exception to the decision to use mosques as platforms for ‘anti-government campaign’. Warning that the decision would create tension as believers hold different political loyalties, the statement alleged that the IUML was exploiting religious sentiments to avert the educated Muslim youths getting closer to the CPI(M). The Congress and other parties in the United Democratic Front should express their views on the move to use mosques for anti-government campaign.

In a Facebook post, K.T. Jaleel, Minister in the previous Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet, has also deplored the call. He said the Sunni faction led by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musaliyar distanced itself from the call because the move was motivated by political hostility. Even the president of the Samastha faction of Sunnis Jifri Muthukoya Thangal and general secretary Alikutty Musaliyar had not attended the meeting held in Kozhikode, he added.

“They [IUML leaders] should realise that mosques are not offices of the IUML,” Dr. Jaleel said warning that the IUML’s move should endanger religious harmony in the State.

Meanwhile, IUML State general secretary P.M.A. Salam clarified that the decision to hold awareness programme in mosques was not taken by the IUML. Reacting to the criticism against the decision, he said it was taken by the leadership of various Muslim organisations to express their protest against the move to entrust Waqf Board postings to the PSC.

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