Muslim youth allege Islamophobia at inaugural function of Kerala School Kalolsavam

Kozhikode: Muslim youth organisations have alleged Islamophobia during the inaugural function of the 61st Kerala School Kalolsavam here on Tuesday.

Samastha Kerala Sunni Yuvajana Samgham (SYS) and former vice president of Muslim Students' Federation, Fathima Thahiliya have accused the state government of sanctioning an 'Islamophobic' event at the venue of the arts festival.

The controversial programme was a musical staged shortly before Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had inaugurated the annual event, which is widely regarded as the biggest cultural event of students in Asia.

The musical directed by Malayalam Theatrical Heritage & Arts in association with Matha Perambra showed the Indian army apprehending a terrorist who had shot dead a solider in the initial act. The terrorist was shown as a rifle-wielding man sporting a Keffiyeh (a traditional Arab head gear worn by men).

"The musical was a challenge thrown at the secular views in Kerala. The theatrical performance had no connection to the lyrics of the song. Instead of infusing goodness in the minds of the participants and the audience, there was an attempt to inject narrow-minded politics," wrote SYS in its official Facebook page.

SYS has urged the state government to seriously look into the allegation that the musical generates Islamophobia in the public.

The SYS has called for strict action on the officials concerned and those who 'misused the venue of the arts festival to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda that a terrorist must be dressed as a Muslim'.

Thahiliya, who is also a lawyer, has claimed that CPM MLA Thottathil Ravindran (Kozhikode North) had seen the rehearsal. "It is unsurprising that he did not find the musical to be Islamophobic. He was invited to the BJP by its leader K Surendran," Thahiliya wrote in her Facebook page.