Samastha EK faction slams Keralam CM for opposing Islamic cleric's remarks on women

Days after Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan criticised Islamic scholar Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar over his remarks on women, the Samastha EK faction’s mouthpiece, Suprabhatham, launched a sharp attack on the Chief Minister, accusing him of double standards.

In an editorial titled “Speak with Decency”, the newspaper likened Satheesan’s interpretation of Kanthapuram’s remarks to a blind man describing an elephant after touching only one part of it, suggesting that his position was shaped by a partial account given by some members of the Muslim community.

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The editorial argued that Kanthapuram had expressed his religious position before an audience of believers and said Satheesan had criticised him without properly understanding the Islamic perspective.

EDITORIAL QUESTIONS SATHEESAN’S STAND ON WOMEN

Suprabhatham questioned Satheesan’s consistency on women’s rights, pointing out that he had opposed the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple but was now speaking extensively about women’s freedom.

The editorial also targeted him over his position on the Munambam land dispute. It noted that Satheesan had declared that the disputed land was not Waqf property even though the matter was being heard by a tribunal.

It further criticised his remarks on the PM SHRI scheme. Satheesan had argued that the government could not withdraw from the scheme after signing an agreement, although his government had appointed a subcommittee to examine the issue.

INDIRECT PRAISE FOR RAMESH CHENNITHALA

The editorial also appeared to contrast Satheesan with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

It said that if KC Venugopal’s name had not entered the discussion over the Congress’s chief ministerial candidate, the contest would have been between Satheesan and Chennithala. It suggested Chennithala would have been chosen because of his more accommodating nature.

Taking a swipe at Satheesan’s frequent references to his reading habits, the editorial said: “Satheesan reads 75 pages a day, but he has not written a novel yet. Ramesh Chennithala has not said how many pages he reads a day, but he has written a novel.”

It also remarked that it was rare for a politician to remain outside the government despite serving several terms as an MLA, including when the UDF was in power, in what could be seen as a dig at Satheesan’s lack of ministerial experience.

ROW OVER KANTHAPURAM’S REMARKS

The controversy erupted after Kanthapuram told an Islamic conference in Kochi that bringing women onto public platforms would lead to “great destruction”, adding that Islam prescribed purdah to prevent such a situation.

Satheesan strongly opposed the remarks, saying they ran counter to Islamic history as well as the progressive values of modern Kerala. He pointed to Khadija, the Prophet Muhammad’s first wife and a prominent businesswoman, and Aisha, who played a leading role in the Battle of the Camel, as examples of Muslim women participating in public life.

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“We strongly oppose expressing such a 19th-century view in the 21st century. Our progressive position is that women are not meant to remain confined to their homes," the Keralam CM said.

His comments, however, drew criticism from sections of the Muslim religious leadership. A delegation from the Kanthapuram-led faction later met Satheesan and accused him of misreading Islamic history.

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