Samastha expels reformist leader for 'working against principles of Sunni Islam'

Abdul Hakeem Faizy heads the influential Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC) had mandated female students not to marry till completion of undergraduate courses. Photo: Special arrangement

Kozhikode: Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, an influential body of Sunni clerics, ousted senior leader and reformist Abdul Hakeem Faizy from the organisation after accusing him of working against the ideals of the Samastha and principles of Sunni Islam.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the Central Mushawara, the highest consultation body of Samastha Kerala, in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

Abdul Hakeem Faizy is a member of the Malappuram district Mushawara of Samastha Kerala (EK faction). But he also holds the important position of the coordinator of the Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC), which of late had irked Samastha Kerala in several ways because of its reformist stance.

The CIC was formed by the scholars of Samastha in 2000 to propagate the ideology of the organisation. But it is headed by the president of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal.

The CIC now has 96 colleges under it offering religious and secular courses called 'Wafy' for boys and 'Wafiyya' for girls. Wafiyya offers five-year integrated undergraduate courses.

The CIC got the goat of Samastha Kerala when it mandated that female students should not get married till the completion of their undergraduate courses.

But after Faizy was ousted from Samastha Kerala, he told reporters at his house in Malappuram that the issue of marriage was put to rest after Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal "surrendered" before Samastha and agreed to withdraw the rule. "He gave it in writing to Samastha," said Faizy.

But the matter was not over for Samastha Kerala. When the CIC organised the Wafy-Wafiyya Kalolsavam (arts festival) and convocation in Kozhikode on October 20 and 21, the leaders of Samastha Kerala stayed away from the event. But leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) attended it. IUML president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, as president of the CIC, presided over the inaugural event.

To be sure, the IUML and the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (EK faction) have a close relationship, with several leaders holding prominent positions in both organisations. Samastha leaders often used to take the back seat and allow the IUML to do the talking for them. But in the last decade, the differences between the two grew and the Samastha became disenchanted with the political party. In 2014, it launched its own newspaper 'Suprabhatham' to rely less on IUML's mouthpiece 'Chandrika'.

'CIC surrendered to Samastha'

Faizy said the CIC brought in the rule to restrict the marriage of undergraduate students based on the feedback given by the teachers and management of 36 women's colleges. "They insisted that there should be a regulation on marriages of female students," he said.

Samastha objected to it but the CIC stood up to Samastha and initially refused to withdraw the rule. On June 8, the Central Mushawara of Samastha Kerala decided to end all ties with the Coordination of Islamic Colleges.

Faizy said CIC president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal held several rounds of talks with Samastha president Syed Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal on the issue. When Samastha did not budge, the CIC decided to withdraw the marriage rule, he said.

 Jifri Thangal
Samastha Kerala Jem'iyyathul Ulema leader Sayyid Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal

Samastha had other issues with the CIC.

The Coordination of Islamic Colleges had amended its constitution to say that the objective of the CIC was to propagate the principles of Islam. Originally, it was to propagate the ideals of Samastha.

Again, as coordinator of the CIC, Faizy had tried to streamline the education in 'dars', a residential mosque-based single-teacher study circle. Unlike madrasas, dars do not have syllabi, and teachings depend on individual ustads or teachers. Faizy tried to bring in a uniform syllabus and Samastha opposed it.

Samastha also opposed CIC leaders, including Faizy, attending events organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a socio-religious organisation.

The CIC agreed to Samastha's demands and backed off on dars, marriage, and amendment to the constitution. "We surrendered before Samastha," Faizy said.

He said Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal gave in writing agreeing to six demands of the Samastha.

The next day, Samastha released a press statement saying the disagreements with the CIC had been resolved.

But when the Wafy-Wafiyya art festival and convocation was announced in October, Samastha gave a letter raising three more demands. The Samastha leaders, who agreed to attend the event, too backed off.

The expulsion of Faizy from Samastha Kerala comes against the backdrop of these developments.

In a statement, the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama said Faizy was being expelled from the organisation because he worked against the objectives and ideals of Samastha, and also for engaging in anti-organisation activities. The press statement did not elaborate on the charges against him. Faizy said Samastha expelled him without serving him a show-cause notice or revealing the charges against him.

When contacted, Samastha Kerala president Syed Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal said he did not want to discuss the matter over the phone.

Faizy said the expulsion from Samastha would not affect his position as the coordinator of the CIC. 

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