In Kerala’s Kannur district, the Imam who led the Eid al-Fitr prayer delivered a sermon sharply criticising the politics of hate in India in the presence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice president AP Abdullakkutty.
During his sermon, VT Abdullakkoya Thangal, general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Kerala state unit, spoke out against the Indian government’s targeting of Muslims and urged the community not to support the Sangh Parivar’s agenda in the upcoming general elections.
Thangal also highlighted the concerns of the Muslim community regarding the BJP’s campaign, stating that “they will do everything for their victory, but Muslim community should not go with their agendas.”
He urged Muslim leaders and the community to fight against hate and vengeful politics, which has resulted in the imprisonment of many innocent Muslim youths under fabricated charges.
“Muslims ruled this country for a thousand years. Muslims were a minority when that monarchy started. At the end of the day, Muslims are a minority. It means Muslims did not impose religion by force,” Thangal added.
Thangal also questioned the treatment of Muslims in India, asking “Who questions the citizenship of such a community? Who destroys their mosques? When did a Muslim girl start being mocked and insulted when she walks out wearing hijab modestly?”
Abdullakkutty, who serves as the chairman of the Hajj Committee of India and is also one of the national vice presidents of the BJP, reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Thangal’s criticism of his party and their alleged promotion of hate campaigns.
In Trivandrum’s Palayam Mosque, Imam Suhaib Moulavi criticized the government’s implementation of saffronization through schools and the removal of Mughal history studies and mentions of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad in NCERT textbooks.
In Vadakara, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen leader Sabiq Pullur spoke out against Hindutva vigilantism and mob lynchings.
“Junaid and Nasir were the victims of hate and Islamophobia in India,” he said while referring the brutal murder of two Muslim men in Haryana by Hindutva mob.
