Politics
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
A prominent Muslim leader in Kerala has accused the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-CPI(M) of actively promoting interfaith marriages, asserting that Muslim girls are being "abducted and married off to non-Muslims" with the party's support.
Nasar Faizy Koodathai, the secretary of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, the youth wing of the influential Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, made these remarks during a meeting in Kozhikode.
He emphasised the need for the community to stay vigilant against what he referred to as the CPM's "tactics with the label of secularism."
Koodathai suggested that, for some, secularism is interpreted as a Hindu marrying a Muslim, expressing concerns about perceived political strategies promoting interfaith marriages.
He claimed that certain individuals within the party, including leaders of the CPM, DYFI, and the SFI, are involved in supporting the abduction of Muslim girls, who are then married off to non-Muslims. He urged Mahallu (masjid) committees to stand united against such actions that defy religious norms.
This marks the first instance of a leader associated with the influential body of Sunni Muslim clerics publicly speaking out against interfaith marriages in Kerala, a state where Hindu and Christian groups have previously accused Muslims of engaging in "love jihad."
It's noteworthy that the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, commonly known as Samastha, has close ties to the Indian Union Muslim League, which is an ally of the Congress in Kerala.
Despite this, the CPM has been actively seeking support from Muslims through engagement with Samastha leaders on various issues.
Regarding the government's plans to introduce gender-neutral uniforms in schools, there were accusations that it withdrew the proposal following protests, particularly from Samastha.
The organisation argued that such uniforms would encourage homosexuality.
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