Clubhouse redefines debates on Islam in Kerala

Express News Service
KOZHIKODE: Clubhouse, the favored software that gives a brand new platform for deliberations, have redefined the contours of debates on Islam in Kerala. Issues associated to Islam dominate the chatrooms ever because the App grew to become well-liked among the many Malayalees.

Key gamers within the debates together with MM Akbar, Saeed Ibn George, C Ravichandran and EA Jabbar have began showing within the Clubhouse chat rooms, drawing enormous audiences.

“Clubhouse is more suited for discussions than other forums because it provides avenues for real-time interaction. Lots of people, who have renounced the religion, have dared to come forward to air their  views publicly in our discussions,” mentioned Arif Hussein Theruvath, a daily presence from the facet ofEx-Muslims group.

“Social media have dug out many Islamic texts that were deliberately buried by Islamists for ages because they contain embarrassing content for the believers. We put these texts under the microscope to bring out the anti-human elements in them. The clubhouse has enabled us to penetrate into areas hitherto inaccessible for us,” Arif mentioned.

He discounted the allegations that Sangh Parivar is behind the Ex-Muslims’ marketing campaign in opposition to Islam. “The religion always wants enemies for its survival. Earlier it was Jews and Christians, now it is us. We believe that our efforts do contribute to the secularization of the society,” Arif mentioned.

Farhana Ashique, analysis scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who represented the Muslim perspective in lots of debates, has a special view.

“The discussions have brought in a drastic change in the public perception that the traditional Muslim scholars are incapable of engaging a modern audience. Clubhouse discussions have witnessed the emergence of a number of Muslim scholars in the traditional attire answering with ease the questions on various subjects like cosmology, philosophy and legal theory,” she mentioned.

“The discussions have also opened up opportunities for Muslim women to access the religious texts. They have realized that many of the rights they were fighting for have scriptural backing. This is indeed a new realization for Muslim women because we are sure that our issues can be settled within the framework of Islam itself,” he mentioned.

At the identical time, Farhana is worried in regards to the makes an attempt to create communal divide by raking up pointless subjects. “The concern over the toxic content of the discussions is real, especially from the ones emanating from the chatrooms organized by the so-called Ex-Muslims,” she mentioned.

“Quite often such debates stoop to the level of maligning the entire community. Theclanguage of the speakers is clearly that of the RSS and issues they raise are Islamophobic,” Farhana mentioned.

Dr C Viswanathan, who participated within the debate on criticism on Islam in India, feels that non-Muslims ought to avoid the discussions on Islam.

“I strongly support the rights of Ex-Muslims to campaign against Islam. We should attempt to free people from the clutches of religions of every kind,” he mentioned. But Dr Viswanathan expressed critical doubts in regards to the intentions of non-Muslims who cheer criticism on Islam.

“The issues Ex-Muslims discuss mostly affect only 14 percent of the population, but the Hindutvaisation affects the whole population because it is in power in the country,” he mentioned.