Youth’s growing responsiveness makes Muslim bodies tightlipped in age of social media
All major Muslim organisations in Kerala, including the largest body of learned men called Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, have been forced to turn a blind eye on an increasing football addition among the Muslim youth apparently fearing a backlash from the youth.
Neither any Muslim organisation nor any scholar of repute in the State agrees to the ostentatious displays of football craze found among the youth. But none of them is willing to say a word against the youth, especially when it comes to their excessive passion for football and the teams and stars of the game.
Never before in the history of Muslims in Kerala have their organisations and their leaders been forced to remain so tightlipped, thanks to the increasing responsiveness of the youth and the power of social media where the youth rules the roost.
Gone are the days when a Samastha leader such as E.K. Aboobacker Musliar could move a sea of humanity that assembled on the Kozhikode beach with a simple gesture of his finger. Gone are the days when scholars could issue fatwas and make the people abide by them.
Scholars and their organisations are increasingly becoming aware of the fact that circumspection is the survival mantra in the social media age. That is why heads and spokespersons of all Muslim organisations, including two Samasthas headed by Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal and Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar respectively, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen headed by T.P. Abdullakoya Madani and Husain Madavoor and Jamat-e-Islami headed by M.I. Abdul Azeez, chose to remain tightlipped when a young leader such as Nasar Faizy Koodathai opened a Pandora’s box when he criticised the Muslim youth for excessively loving football and its stars such as Messi, Neymar, and Ronaldo.
Interestingly none of them disagrees with Mr. Faizy. But they are of the opinion that Mr. Faizy recklessly threw caution to the wind by posting on social media something that ought to have been handled cleverly. Mr. Faizy had evoked sharp criticism from various quarters when he spoke against the football craziness of Muslim youth. The Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama took the brunt of the criticism for Mr. Faizy’s act.
A senior leader of the Samastha, on condition of anonymity, told this paper that Mr. Faizy’s was a callous act. However, he suspected that it was a deliberate act meant to push the largest body of Muslim scholars in Kerala against the wall. Resentment was brewing within the Samastha against Mr. Faizy’s act, emanating signs of a division within the body of clerics.
However, some katibs (preachers) reached out to the community cleverly during the Juma prayers on Friday when they reminded the people of the importance of spending their wealth in ways loved by God. Indirectly they communicated in fewer words about the futility of falling prey to an addiction called football.
