By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Kozhikode: Malayalam Daily Mathrubhumi’s reproduction of a comment which insulted Prophet Mohammed sparked wide protests of Muslim organisations in Kerala. Accusing the leading Malayalam newspaper of encouraging blasphemy and caused distress to the community various Muslim organisations have come down against the news paper.
On Wednesday, the newspaper reproduced a Facebook post, which came in response to High Court Justice B Kemal Pasha’s recent statement about polygamy. The post, which criticised the Prophet in derogatory language, appeared in the ‘Apps Talk’ column of the paper in its Kozhikode edition.
Alleging the newspaper was targeting and defaming the Muslim community, leaders of Muslim organisations harshly criticised the news papers. Various organisations including Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), Sunni Students Federation, Sunni Students Federation (SSF), Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) hold protest marches in various parts of the state.
The leaders have exhorted to protest peacefully. “The newspaper has committed a heinous crime. Believers should vent ire against it in peaceful way,” said SKSSF state president Syed Abbas Ali Shihab Thangal.
Meanwhile, there were numerous posts on social media against the newspaper calling for social boycott. “Muslims should stop buying and subscribing Mathrubhumi,” some of the posts said.
However, following wide outrages Mathrubhumi apologised for the post and removed the post from its online and epaper editions.
Few months back, noted Malayalam literacy critic Dr. M M Basheer had stopped his column about Ramayana in Mathrubhumi following threats from a Hindu extreme group called Hanuman Sena.