A young Muslim man, Anish Sali, from Kottayam district in Kerala has alleged caste discrimination by his mosque committee. Janam TV reported that the allegation is against Changanassery Puthurpalli Muslim Jamaat. Sali said he received a notice showing that since he is from a lower-caste he does not have the right to participate in the general meeting of the mosque.
Puthurpalli Juma Masjid is more than two hundred years old. Sali who lives near the mosque had this bad experience. He also highlighted the notice sent to him by the committee officials for attending the general meeting of the mosque as proof of caste discrimination. Sali said he will approach the court against discrimination.
The mosque committee’s claim that they did not show any discrimination doesn’t hold any water. According to the mosque committee, they had issued the notice on the basis of the mosque’s old constitution where it is written that lower caste Muslims belonging to sects such as Labbai, Muddin and Ostha should not be allowed to sit in the general body meeting. These sections are employed for menial jobs in the mosque. Therefore, the committee members argue that there is no provision to include the descendants of those categories in the general meeting. Although Islamists claim that there is no caste system in Islam, many sections within the religious fold face caste discrimination.
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