Radical Islam Vs CPM? SDPI Protests School-Play Showing Girl Leading Azaan; Call It ‘Insult Of Islam’ By Communists

Protests are being held across Kerala’s Kozhikode’ district after a play ‘Kitab’ depicted a girl performing azaan, the Islamic ritual prayer call, generally performed by a male priest (mukri or muezzin). The protesters say that the play “insults the Islamic way of life”.

The play performed by Memunda Higher Secondary School is based on a story by R. Unni that depicts the daughter of a mukri asking to perform azaan like her father. Though initially he refuses her, he later allows her to do the azaan. The play was performed at the district school arts festival at Vadakara on Wednesday.

Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) marched in protest against this, stating that the play was not a social criticism but an insult to the Muslim way of life, as reported by TOI.

Salim P Azhiyur, the local SDPI has submitted a complaint to the deputy director of education. He says, “Memunda school is managed by CPM, and the party’s agenda is clear in this play. It will send the wrong message about the Muslim community”.

However, a teacher at the school, PK Sreedharan counters by saying that the play put forth a number of valid questions about gender. He states, “We don’t understand why there are protests against our play. Theatre often raises sensitive religious issues”.