The Facebook post came a day after Kanthapuram clarified his recent remarks on women, saying he was not among those who advocated burying or confining women and pointing to educational opportunities being provided to women
Kozhikode: Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, facing criticism over his alleged remarks on women, on Friday urged his followers not to be provoked or allow “spiritual discussions” to be diverted into controversies and divisions.
In a Facebook post, the veteran Sunni scholar said discussions should provide a healthy platform to objectively examine ideas and gain new knowledge.
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“We must clearly identify the vested interests of those who deliberately try to divert such spiritual discussions towards controversies and divisions,” he said.
Kanthapuram alleged that such “evil intentions” were aimed at undermining the pursuit of knowledge and creating divisions in society. He urged his followers to remain vigilant and respond to attempts at provocation with maturity and wisdom rather than emotion.
“The tradition of Sunni believers has always been to confront all evils only with goodness,” he said, calling on his followers to proceed with discipline and restraint without deviating from their core objectives.
The Facebook post came a day after Kanthapuram clarified his recent remarks on women, saying he was not among those who advocated burying or confining women and pointing to educational opportunities being provided to women.
“It is not correct to say that women have been given second place. We are not people who say women should be buried. Everyone should understand this,” Kanthapuram said while addressing a programme in Thrissur on Thursday.
He said madrassas and schools exclusively for girls had been established and that several institutions were being run to provide education to women.
According to Kanthapuram, these institutions offer educational opportunities and support to orphaned girls.
His recent remarks that women should remain confined to their homes had triggered widespread criticism from various sections of society, including Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan.
Satheesan had criticised the remarks as reflecting a 19th-century outlook, saying such a view had no place in progressive Keralam.
His comments prompted a sharp response from organisations associated with the Sunni group led by Kanthapuram. The organisations defended the scholar and demanded an apology from the Chief Minister.
(PTI)
Published: 04 Sept 2026, 03:02 pm IST
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