Muslim groups distance themselves from protests at Catholic university in India

Members of the Muslim community expressed regret on Jul 29 over a controversial incident in which a section of students allegedly protested against the denial of permission to perform “namaz” inside the premises of the church-run Nirmala College.

MUMBAI, India – Members of the Muslim community in Muvattupuzha – in India’s Kerala state – expressed regret on Jul 29 over a controversial incident in which a section of students allegedly protested against the denial of permission to perform “namaz” inside the premises of the church-run Nirmala College.

Namaz – also called Salah –  is the principal form of worship facing Mecca in Islam.

Kerala is a state in southern India. According to the 2011 census, 54 percent of Kerala’s population are Hindus, 26 percent are Muslims, 18 percent are Christians.

Muslims met with the authorities of the college and termed the incident “unfortunate.”

The “Mahallu” committee members from Muvattupuzha region – made up with Muslim clerics – met the college authorities after the incident erupted in Kerala after a section of students staged a protest inside the college, claiming that the non-teaching staff had prevented a few female students from offering Friday prayers inside a room in the institution.

“We expressed our concern over the unfortunate incident that happened. We came to accept before the authorities that the students were at fault and express our community’s regret in the incident,” one of the members of the local Mahallu committee told the media.

The issue began on Friday when a group of female students from the Muslim community asked the college authorities to designate a room for them to offer prayers. Their request was denied, leading to heightened tensions on the campus. Some students reportedly prevented the college principal, Father Kannadan Francis, from leaving his office in protest.

“The college had received a complaint that a group of girls were using a common room for namaz,” Francis said.

“There is a mosque only 200 meters away from the college. Boys at the college go to the mosque at noon for prayers, and this is allowed in all educational institutions. However, the girls claimed they were not allowed to pray at the mosque and wanted a room in the college. We have informed them that the college cannot permit a room for prayers,” the priest said.

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Syro-Malabar Church called the “move against” Nirmala College by some students as a “serious” issue.

There has been a concerted and planned move in recent times against Christian minority institutions.

The demand has no legal or moral standing, Bishop Thomas Tharayil said in a statement on July 28.

The recent happenings at Nirmala College are part of the religious-communal “invasion” on Christian institutions, the statement added. Any efforts to destabilize Christian minority institutions will be dealt with strongly, Tharayil said.

The statement also expressed concern that the college units of two leading students’ unions led the protest in the college. Tharayil demanded a thorough inquiry into such incidents to bring out who organized the protests.

The principal and authorities at Nirmala College should also be provided protection to avoid more untoward incidents on the campus, the statement said.

In a video of the protest that was aired by some local channels, the students claim that for several days the office staff did not allow them to offer prayers and sought an apology from the principal.

The college management said on Monday that all political and religious organizations have extended their support to the institution.

The incident had drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu-nationalist party that rules India but has a limited presence in Kerala state.

BJP state chief K Surendran claimed that some people were trying to create issues in the educational institutions run by Hindu and Christian communities.

“Some are trying to threaten the principal of the college for not giving permission for performing namaz. Extremists are behind such moves,” he said.

The Catholic Congress which is associated with the Syro-Malabar Church on July 28 condemned the protest and said such divisive forces should be weeded out.

“The educational institution can allow students time to offer their prayers in the nearby mosque on Fridays. But the demand to allow space for ladies in the college campus just because the mosque will not allow women inside cannot be accepted,” the organization had said in a statement issued on Saturday.

The SFI and the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) – the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League – distanced themselves from the controversy. Both organizations issued statements denying their involvement.

SFI state president K Anusree emphasized their stance on secularism in educational institutions.

“We stand for ensuring secularism on campuses. If campuses allow religious practices of any particular community, it will affect the secular nature of the college campuses,” she said. “We are not associated with the demand raised at Nirmala College.”