By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net
The joint state conference of the Students Islamic Organisation and the Girls Islamic Organisation was held at the Al Jamia al Islamiya at Santhapuram in Malappuram on December 22 and 23. The conference titled ‘the power of faith for a beautiful life’ was inaugurated by Dr Thaha Mateen, national leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami. The chief address was delivered by VT Abdulla Koya Thangal, Kerala assistant amir of the JIH. State leaders of the SIO and GIO spoke at the session presided over by GIO president Afeeda Ahmed. More than 3,000 students from different parts of the state attended the conference.
Several topics were discussed at the conference in various sessions, including ‘liberal cultures and the Islamic life’, the Islamic civilization and contributions to knowledge, the method of Islamic preaching, the future of student politics and ‘art and aesthetics in Islam’. The JIH state secretary Shihab Pookottur, AL Jamia rector Dr Abdussalam Ahmed, MES Engineering College vice-principal Dr Badeeuzzaman, Dr V Hikmatullah etc spoke at the event.
Fatima Nafees, mother of Mohammed Najeeb who has been missing from the JNU, inaugurated the art exhibition titled ‘Oodum Pavum’ arranged at the Conference venue. The exhibition themed ‘defend the racist looks’ was noted for its distinct nature – it had set the rooms of Mohammed Najeeb and Rohit Vemula who had committed suicide in the HCU following caste discrimination by the university authorities, symbolic graves for those killed in state atrocities in Kashmir as well for those killed in mob lynching, representation of the Muslim woman as stereotyped by the mainstream public and media etc. The exhibition was organised by the students of the Al Jamia al Islamiya.
The new leaders of the student organisations were also announced. Salih Kottappally is the new president of the state SIO and Binas TA is the general secretary for the year 2019-20. Afeeda Ahmed is the president of the GIO and Nasreen P Naseer is the general secretary.
