Move for Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal on Salafi stage triggers row
Malappuram: The Kerala Waqf Board chairman Panakkad Rasheedali Shihab Thangal’s decision to attend the reunited Salafi state conference has kicked off a row in the youth wing of Samastha, the largest Sunni body in Kerala. The brewing dissent against Thangal’s decision to attend the event has led to a series of critical Facebook posts by leaders of the Samstha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), an affiliate of Samastha.
The leaders of SKSSF have taken to Facebook to criticize Thangal’s decision to share a stage with Salafis, known as Mujahids in Kerala, at a time when they were facing serious allegations of radicalizing Muslim youths. Another Thangal scion and state president of Muslim Youth League, Panakkad Munawarali Shihab Thangal is also attending the Mujahid Conference. The row began when Rasheedali Thangal’s name appeared in the programme list of the 9th State Mujahid Conference in Kooriyad near Vengara which will begin on Thursday. Thangal was scheduled to speak at a session on ‘Waqf, Madrasa and Masjids’ during the event.
Thangal took to Facebook to justify his decision to attend the event citing the tradition of harmony that Panakkad Thangal family propounded. But this was questioned by SKSSF leaders who pointed out the traditional stand of the Panakkad Thangal family against Salafis.
“We cannot endorse those people who count Sunnis as non-believers in the name of monotheism. Unity to defend fascism is a wonderful slogan. But the question of who will take the initiative to unite remains to be answered,” Sathar Panthaloor, state secretary of SKSSF pointed out in a Facebook post while reacting to the row.
Mithilaj Rahmani, editor of Gulf Sathyadhara, the mouthpiece of SKSSF, also questioned Rahseedali Thangal’s justification of being an office bearer of a government body. It is learnt that in firefighting mode, the Indian Union Muslim League has entered the scene and has called an unofficial meeting on Wednesday at the residence of Panakkad Thangal to put an end to the row.
