Child rights body opens case against Kerala Muslim scholar

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has, suo moto, registered a case in connection with a Muslim scholar’s remark about girls not to be allowed on stage.

The commission sought a report from Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (Samastha), Malappuram District Child Protection Officer, as well as the local police over the comment made by Samastha senior member M T Abdulla Musaliyar.

Musaliyar was caught on camera criticising event organisers for inviting a girl on to the stage to felicitate her at a madrasa inauguration in Malappuram district.

According to Commission Chairperson K V Manoj Kumar, prima facie the incident caused insult to the girl child which was a violation of her rights. Based on the reports of Samastha (an association of eminent Sunni Islamic scholars of the state), child protection officer and the police, further actions would be initiated, he informed.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, several ministers and political leaders in the state strongly condemned the Samastha leader’s remark.