Namaz row: Imams meet Kerala college principal, say ‘demand misguided’

Days after several students from Nirmala College in Kerala’s Muvattupuzha held protests demanding that they be allotted a room at the college to offer namaz, a group of Imams and representatives of several mahallu committees on Monday met the college authorities and expressed regret over the incident.

Addressing the media after meeting the college principal on Monday, PSA Latheef, a representative of the mahallu committees, said that “the students were wrong in making such a demand”.

“We express regret over the issue, as a community, as it is a misguided demand… There should not be any issue. We had an amicable discussion with the college authorities. The issue should not serve as an opportunity for vested groups to disturb the harmony,” he said.

Earlier in the day, a prominent body of Islamic scholars also asked the students to desist from making demands that could “create hatred”.

Calling the controversy “unfortunate”, Dakshina Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama general secretary Muhammed Thoufeeq Moulavi said: “Offering namaz is a personal and time-bound religious practice. But the religion does not allow compelling someone to allot space for prayer. Islam teaches that it is forbidden to pray in a place that has been gained forcibly.”