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A Friday sermon at the Palayam Juma Masjid has sparked widespread appreciation after Imam V P Suhaib Maulavi urged the Muslim community to extend warm hospitality to Hindu devotees arriving in the State capital for the Attukal Pongala on March 3.
"As the Attukal Pongala approaches, we must ensure better facilities for Hindu devotees during Juma prayers. Every year we remind ourselves that when our sisters come here in city for Pongala, they arrive as guests, and as hosts, it is our duty to provide them every comfort," said Maulavi. Calling Attukal Pongala, often referred to as the "women's Sabarimala", a moment of collective cultural expression, the Imam said that Muslims in Ramzan must welcome Hindu devotees reaching the city. "Like last year, Pongala coincides with Ramzan. We must share the joy, fraternity and love of Ramzan with our sisters and their children," he said in his sermon, which has since gone viral. The Imam urged the faithful to arrange drinking water, Ramzam delicacies, and resting facilities for women devotees. "Our mosques and homes should be open before them. This is an occasion to demonstrate our love and brotherhood," he added, stressing that only compassion and fraternity can counter rising Islamophobia and hatred. The appeal has drawn widespread praise online, especially against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the film The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, which has triggered debate over the alleged misrepresentation of Kerala. Commenting on the film's theme, Suhaib Maulavi stressed that Malayalis do not agree with the ideas the movie attempts to push. He asserted that the film paints Keralam as a divided, broken, and demonised state and characterised the narrative regarding Keralam as false. "When no one wants to watch that film (Kerala Story 2), the truth is this: Malayalis do not agree with the ideas the movie tries to push. It paints Keralam as divided, broken, and demonised, a narrative that is utterly false. If you want to know the real 'Kerala story,' look here: a mosque standing beside a temple, facing a church, and behind it another church, all shoulder to shoulder. During festivals, these places of worship help one another, support one another. This is the love, harmony and brotherhood Kerala stands for. Any attempt to portray Keralam otherwise is simply not acceptable," Maulavi told ANI. For years, the historic Valiyapalli Muslim Jamaath Mosque at Manacaud has been known for opening its doors to Pongala devotees, providing water, toilets, resting areas and space for emergency responders during the festival. On Saturday, several people met the Palayam Imam in person to congratulate him for his message of communal harmony that has struck a chord across social media platforms. (ANI)
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