Musthafal Faizy’s suspension from Mushawara strains Samastha-IUML relations

The suspension of senior Sunni scholar Musthafal Faizy from the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama’s executive body named Mushawara has further strained the relations between the Samastha and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership.

Mr. Faizy, who has a chequered history as a traditional Islamic scholar, was suspended from the Mushawara following his controversial statements that supported the IUML while denigrating the Samastha leadership.

Addressing a meeting in Malappuram a few days ago, Mr. Faizy had described Samastha president Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal as a skipper who boarded the vehicle much later. Although he did not name Thangal, it was so apparent that the remarks triggered widespread condemnation.

“We have been travelling on this vehicle since 1974. Some boarded the vehicle only recently, and they are commanding the direction. This vehicle will not go as per their command,” Mr. Faizy had said. He had also said that without the IUML, the Samastha would not survive.

The Mushawara meeting held in Kozhikode on Thursday (February 6) took Mr. Faizy’s remarks seriously and suspended him. Mr. Faizy criticised the Mushawara for not hearing him before the action. Bahauddin Nadvi, another Mushawara member and vice-chancellor of Darul Huda Islamic University, Chemmad, walked out of the meeting in protest.

The Samastha action is learned to have infuriated the IUML leadership. However, the Samastha leadership played down the suspension saying that it had nothing to do with the IUML.

Mr. Faizy had sided with the breakaway Sunni faction led by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar when the Samastha split in 1989. However, he later rejoined the Samastha but only to be expelled for writing a book in support of accepting bank interest. His apologies brought him back to the Samastha after a few years.

Social media was rife with comments both in support and against Mr. Faizy after his suspension on Thursday. A troll that found much traction on social media on Friday (February 7) portrayed Mr. Faizy as being gotten off a public transport bus driven by Samastha president Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal and co-driven by Samastha secretary Alikutty Musliar.