Kanthapuram, Mujahids lock horns over age-old dispute after interim truce

Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar has warned against misinterpreting statements with the intention of creating divide in society. A speech he made at Kundoor, near Tirurangadi, a few days ago had ignited a controversy with sections of the Mujahid and Sunni groups criticising him and demanding an apology from him for it.

Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar has warned against misinterpreting statements with the intention of creating divide in society. A speech he made at Kundoor, near Tirurangadi, a few days ago had ignited a controversy with sections of the Mujahid and Sunni groups criticising him and demanding an apology from him for it.

Mr. Kanthapuram had touched upon an age-old issue of dispute between the traditional Sunnis and the reformist Mujahids when he said that those holding Islamic faith would never propagate that the mortal remains of Prophet Mohammed would decay like that of an ordinary person after his death.

Indirectly, Mr. Kanthapuram described the Mujahids as not Muslim, triggering a fresh controversy over the age-old dispute. There were times when both Sunnis and Mujahids fought and condemned each other over such issues.

The Sunni group led by Mr. Kanthapuram was the most vociferous against the Mujahids in the State. Innumerable debates were held between them over contentious differences. Both of them used to claim that the other was not in the proper path of Islam.

However, the acrimonious debates between them subsided in recent years in the light of the larger issues being faced by the Muslim community. Mr. Kanthapuram cast aside his earlier stand that he would not even share a stage with the Mujahids.

Mr. Kanthapuram’s remarks at Kundoor against the Mujahids also prompted the rival Sunni group to join the issue. Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) leaders Abdul Hameed Faizy and Mohammed Koya Jamalullaili said in a statement that Mr. Kanthapuram’s statement was equally damaging as that of the statements made by the Mujahids.

Mr. Kanthapuram on Wednesday said that those who misinterpreted his statements by taking them out of context were damaging society. He also said that slapping labels of polytheism on others was the style of Mujahids.