Muslim leaders decry MM Akbar's arrest

Kozhikode: Muslim organizations in Kerala have come out strongly against the arrest of Islamic scholar-preacher MM Akbar in Hyderabad. The arrest was made after Akbar was held at Hyderabad's airport, following a lookout notice issued against him. He was later handed to the custody of Kerala Police who took him to Kochi.

Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen (KNM) President, TP Abdullakoya Madani strongly decried the action by Kerala police, and said that the move to make such arrests raise concerns and urged effective interventions from the government to allay the fears of religious minorities. Speaking at the ISM Golden Jubilee Declaration conference at Kozhikode, he said that religious minorities pinned hopes on the justice system, and the authorities should adopt a stance in line with that. "This is a time when communalist fascism is making concerted moves to restrict freedom of thought and the right to propagate religion and therefore the attempts to hunt MM Akbar are deplorable. This should be resisted in co-operation with secular democratic forces of the country and reposing faith in the judiciary," he said.

Abdullakoya also exhorted different religious, social, political and cultural leaders to come express disapproval of the violation of injustice and of human rights.

The conference adopted a resolution calling for wise and prudent resistance to the attempts to put checks on the right to Islamic propagation.

State President of Solidarity Youth Movement PM Salih also criticized the arrest of Akbar and said that it amounts government's interference in the right to religious propagation. He recalled that earlier, police had registered some cases related to his school and syllabus, but even after the text books in dispute were withdrawn, the arrest was made to create a smokescreen of illegality. There is also mystery even in the arrest of Akbar now when it has not been made clear under which the arrest has been made, he said.

Salih also highlighted that the Sangh parivar-led Central government is trying to widen actions against Muslims in the name of extremism and terrorist offences. But unfortunately, Kerala government is toeing the same line. He called upon the government to take urgent action against the arrest and make clear its position on the issue.