Participants of recent meetings held by the Mujahid Students Movement (MSM) in Wayanad and the Milad conference of the Sunni group led by Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar in Kozhikode have heavily criticized three social leaders from Muslim community for sharing modern Islamic perspectives.
The Times of India reports that it is clear through these meetings that warring factions of the community is joining hands against a progressive reformation of the community.
M N Karasseri, MES state president Fazal Gafoor and Hameed Chennamangaloor were criticized by the community groups over their opinions on gender equality, purdah-wearing and and marriageable age of Muslim girls.
The ToI report further states, organizational and ideological differences did not prevent the Muslim organizations to join hands in the attack the progressive stances.
Kanthapuram lashed out at these social leaders by saying, “Those who have studied poetry should teach poetry and those studied neurology treat patients.” Karasseri is a poet and a retired professor and Fazal Gafoor is a neurologist.
“There is nothing new in this. They raised the same argument in 1985 when EMS spoke about sharia. All Muslim organizations joined hands against EMS and the Supreme Court that delivered the verdict in the Shah Banu case. These organizations do not recognize each other as true Muslims. Then who would decide whether we are Muslims or not?” Hameed Chennamangaloor asked ToI .
Fazal Gafoor also said that he is not bothered about what religious groups think.