Smugglers are mostly Muslims; Qazis should acknowledge this as un-Islamic - KT Jaleel

Malappuram: K.T. Jaleel, MLA, reiterated that majority of those nabbed in gold smuggling around the Karipur Airport belong to the Muslim community. He questioned what kind of reforms or progress the 'Malappuram lovers' intend to implement in the Muslim community without addressing this issue. Jaleel shared on Facebook that a significant percentage of Muslims involved in gold smuggling believe that it is not un-Islamic.

He stated that if Qazis (Islamic scholars who issue religious sermons) advocate for awareness to prevent Muslims from being involved in gold smuggling, it should not be considered Islamophobia. Qazis should be ready to declare that gold smuggling is un-Islamic. Jaleel clarified that he was not speaking in his capacity as the state president of the League but as a Qazi himself when he made this request to Sadiq Ali Thangal.

K T Jaleel’s FB post

“To those who are erasing the love and communal harmony of Malappuram for the sake of smuggling and hawala! Regardless of which religious community commits the wrongdoing, the strongest opposition must come from that particular religious group. It is the Christians who should come forward to condemn the wrongdoings within the Christian community. Muslims should point out the faults among Muslims. Hindus should address the wrongdoings within Hinduism. Otherwise, such interventions may be misinterpreted as malicious attempts by outsiders to discredit them. Such has been the nature of religious reforms and social renaissance.

The majority of those caught in gold smuggling around Karipur Airport are from the Muslim community. What kind of reforms or progress do the 'Malappuram lovers' intend to implement without addressing this issue? Many Muslims involved in gold smuggling and hawala believe that 'this is not un-Islamic at all.' If Qazis are asked to raise awareness about such individuals, how can that be termed 'Islamophobic'? Society should be outraged at those who see the speck in someone else's eye without noticing the log on their own."

In response to this, Muslim League state general secretary P.M.A. Salam  stated that the entire responsibility for the crime lies on the shoulders of a single community, and the CPM should take responsibility. He added that what K.T Jaleel said is something that even the RSS does not say.