Kozhikode(Keralam), Oct 21 Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama president Sayyid Muhammad Jifri Muthukoya Thangal on Wednesday said that the body of Islamic scholars was not consulted when reconstituting the state’s Waqf Board, but was happy with M C Mayin Haji being made its chairman.
Thangal said that a lot of other Muslim organisations, like Jamaat-e-Islami and the Boro community, were represented in the new Board according to the guidelines, but questioned on what basis M P Mustafal Faizi was appointed to the Board.
“I don’t know based on which norms he (Faizi) has been appointed,” he said.
Faizi was previously suspended from the Samastha’s ‘Mushawara’ (decision-making body) following controversial remarks made by him against Thangal.
He also said that when all the other organisations were represented, the Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar faction of Samastha too should have been given a place on the Board.
He further said that during the time of the previous LDF government, Ummar Faizi was appointed to the Board without consulting Samastha, a body of Islamic scholars.
“If our opinion is sought, we will give it. Otherwise we will not comment on who is appointed to it. So, Samastha has never interfered with Board appointments,” he said.
Thangal further said that the chairman of the newly reconstituted Board, M C Mayin Haji, a nominee of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), was also an associate of Samastha.
“Therefore, both sides can be happy. We are completely satisfied with Mayin Haji being on the Board because he follows Samastha principles of service,” he said.
The Samastha president also said that he has asked Haji to act in a fair and unbiased manner while functioning as the Board chairman.
The Keralam government had last Friday dissolved the Waqf Board headed by K S Hamsa, constituted by the previous LDF government in March this year, and appointed a new nine-member board despite more than four years remaining in the tenure of the old board.
The new board is headed by IUML leader M C Mayin Haji. The other members are IUML leader and MLA Kurukkoli Moideen, Musthafa Faizi, Siras D Capsi, Thodiyoor Muhammed Kunju Maulavi, Sajna Firoz, Jaseem Sabaha, Dr Abdul Majeed Swalahi and C Madina Begham.
Following the constitution of the new Board, there were grievances that certain Muslim factions, including that of Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, were not represented in it.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, state Minority Welfare Minister N Samsudheen said that a “consensus” has been arrived at with the various Muslim factions who were aggrieved over their lack of representation in the reconstituted State Waqf Board.
The minister told reporters that the concerns of the Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar faction of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama will be resolved by including a member of that group in the Board.
(PTI News)
