As the Communist-ruled state of Kerala is still dealing with the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has finally admitted that around 100 Malayalee Muslims and converts to Islam joined the Islamic State until 2019.
For a long time, the state of Kerala has been accused of Muslim appeasement and the best example is the relaxation of Covid-19 norms which led to a massive surge in infection and deaths in the state.
Now it has emerged that after denying the presence of Jihadi sleeper cells in Kerala for years, around 28 Muslims from the state went directly from Kerala to join the terrorist organisation ISIS.
Vijayan said, out of the 28 Muslims who are now with ISIS, 5 are converts from Hinduism and Christianity. The stark reality is that Kerala is home to a very large network of Islamic fundamentalists who are well funded.
Also, the recent statement made by Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt triggered a massive controversy when he talked about the presence of ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Narcotic Jihad’ in the state.
In the official statement released by the Church, it reads, “The ongoing controversy over Pala bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt’s remarks is unfortunate. It’s clear he never spoke to defame any community, religion or creed. He also stated the same. At the same time, he warned of some organised anti-social activities. They (the leaders) forgot the fact that the speech was made at a Church addressing its followers. Some politicians and media, through their interventions, presented the priest’s speech as an issue between two religions. Such a wrong presentation paved the way for controversy and meaningless discussions”.
“Those who are consciously campaigning to isolate and attack him by accusing him of preaching religious rivalry are requested to withdraw from it. While context and motive of his speech are clear, we recognise that call for action against him is deliberate,” the Church said.
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