By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter
Kozhikode: Malayali author K P Ramanunni, who recently received an anonymous letter threatening him with dire consequences if he didn’t convert to Islam within six months, has expressed his gratitude to Muslim leaders for the support they have lent him during the crisis.
Ramanunni told Twocircles.net that the visit and calls by Muslim leaders lent him much relief. “The public, social, cultural and political leaders, police and government has stood with me during this period. The support is a good sign and gives me courage,” he said.
Soon after the incident, Muslim leaders including Youth League leader Panakkad Syed Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal visited him at his residence in Kozhikode along with party leaders PK Firoz to lend their full support. Apart from IUML, various Muslim organisations including Sunni Yuvajana Sangham strongly condemned the threat.
On July 22, the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award winner lodged a police complaint saying he received an anonymous threat letter. The letter warned him that his right arm and left leg would be chopped off if he didn’t convert to Islam. The letter, referring to a recent article named ‘a believer to Hindus and Muslims’, alleged that Ramanunni misguided Muslim youths through his writings about Islam.
A columnist in Madhyamam daily run by Jama’t-e Islami Hind, Ramanunni is a regular face in venues and programmes hosted by Muslim organisations across the state. His debut novel Sufi Paranja Katha (Story told by Sufi) was based on a love story of a Muslim man and a Hindu woman.
“The letter has been sent by a criminal. It doesn’t matter which religion he belongs to. He is a criminal. Religion has nothing to do with his crime,” Ramanunni said.
“I am not apprehensive of the threat and don’t want to stop. My articles aimed at strengthening communal harmony have got accolades from all corners,” he said.
Meanwhile, responding to the threat, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also demanded the arrest of the criminals behind the threat.
Police have found the letter was posted from a post office at Manjeri in Malappuram and started collecting CCTV footages from nearby localities. A special team has been constituted under the leadership of Nallalam sub inspector Kailas Nath.