Kozhikode (Kerala) | The Samastha Kerala Jam'iyyathul Ulama, an influential religious organisation of Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics, on Saturday said it will cooperate with the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and take part in the seminar organised by the party next week on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Announcing that the outfit will take part in the seminar organised by the CPI(M) on July 15, its president Jifri Muthukoya Thangal told the media that it is an issue faced by all the citizens of the country.
Samastha will join the protest against the UCC like it had joined the protest against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA), he said.
"We will cooperate with any political party which organises any events in connection with this (UCC). There are programmes of (Indian Union) Muslim League in which we have participated. We have cooperated with the Congress party. Similarly, the Communist party is also organising a symposium or a seminar. Like how we participated in the CAA protest, we will cooperate in this too," Thangal said.
He said it was not just an issue concerning the Muslims or Hindus or Christians.
"This is not an issue of Muslims in Kerala or India alone. It's not an issue of the Hindus or Christians. This is an issue concerning the citizens of this
country," Thangal said.
On July 2, CPI(M)'s Kerala unit state secretary M V Govindan had attacked the RSS and the BJP saying they were "parading" Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country to campaign for the UCC and urged the secular-minded civil society to protest against the proposed civil code.
He had also announced a seminar against UCC and said all secular-minded political parties will be invited except the Congress.
The Left party has reportedly invited the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an ally of the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
Meanwhile, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the Muslim League can decide on its own whether or not to attend the seminar.
"The Muslim League can decide whether or not to participate in the seminar organised by the CPI(M) on UCC. They have already expressed their view on the issue and we are satisfied with their stand," Venugopal said.
