Kozhikode: Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (influential Muslim body of Sunni scholars and clerics) leader and Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) state general secretary Nasar Faizy Koodathai has come up with a clarification on his comments on inter faith marriages. 

While addressing a gathering at the Sunni Mahallu Federation event in Kozhikode district earlier this week, Nasar Faizy had accused CPM and DYFI of targeting/abducting muslim women and for promoting inter faith marriages among them. He also said that “few people believe secularism is only possible if a Hindu marries a Muslim,”

Faizy’s comments turned controversial and were widely criticised, forcing the religious leader to come up with a clarification.    

“I did not mean that SFI, DYFI and CPM are only targeting muslim women. Actually, what is happening here is that as an organisation SFI vehemently campaigns in favour of inter faith marriages and DYFI actually helps the students’ wing to achieve their targets. And in their mission, they are not only focussing on muslim women, instead, women in all religious groups are facing the threat. As a community leader, I vouch for my people and I will continue to highlight the problems persisting in my religion. It is the duty of other religious leaders to stand up for their people,” said Nasar Faizy Koodathai.

“I would like to say that if two people from different religious groups decide to get married, then it is the duty of the government machinery including the police department to help them live together. It is not the ‘party’ that should intervene in such matters. CPM is a strange case. On one side, it's playing the cards of muslim appeasement and on the other side it is vigorously promoting secularism. To me this is nothing but double standards. I have absolutely no issues in talking about this,” said the religious leader.