Panakkad family members remark on womens mosque entry sparks debate in Kerala
MALAPPURAM: A single remark from a young member of the influential Panakkad family has spiralled into a wave of cyber attacks, turning what began as a theological comment into a digital assault on a 16-year-old and her family. For days, social media platforms have been ablaze with targeted posts aimed at Fathima Nargis, daughter of Kerala Muslim Youth League president Sayyid Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal and the Panakkad family itself. What was a very brave statement from a young mind has now exploded into one of the most hostile online and ideological flare-ups Keralas Muslim community has witnessed in recent times. The controversy began last week when Fathima responded to a question about restrictions on womens entry into Sunni mosques. Islam didnt say that women cannot enter masjids. It is some individuals, as part of certain culture, who made this rule. That should be changed. This will be part of a female revolution and I believe this change will come soon, she said. Once the Youth League shared her video and Munavvar Ali posted a newspaper clipping of the event, the reaction on social media turned fierce, with hundreds of accounts -- many anonymous -- piling on the teenager and the Panakkad family for her liberal upbringing. While both the EK and AP factions of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama criticised the remark, the AP groups responses became the primary fuel for cyber attackers. Hardline leaders and Sunni groups repeatedly shared posts portraying the Panakkad family as abandoning religious values, triggering coordinated hate towards the teen and her family. Among the most widely circulated attacks was a post by Vahab Saquafi Mambad of the AP wing: Now, beevis (women of Panakkad family) from the highest families are coming out demanding womens right to enter politics and compete! And now, they demand entry into Sunni mosques. Soon, they may even demand to become qazi of thousands of mosques. This post, amplified by dozens of accounts, became a rallying point for hostile comments. Munavvar Ali Thangal then issued a detailed clarification, emphasising his daughter was a minor who had been confronted with a complex questionunexpectedly. My daughter is 16. Her reply is not in line with the mainstream belief systems of Kerala or the rulings of the scholarly community. I request that this be seen as a hasty opinion by a child who has not attained the necessary religious study. As a father, I am correcting her statement with full responsibility, he wrote. His intervention did little to deter the cyber attacks, but it marked the first attempt to shift the focus back to the fact that a minor was at the receiving end of a massive online storm. After initial silence, the Samastha EK group backed Thangals clarification. EK leader Nazar Faizi Koodathai wrote, Islam has not said women are forbidden from entering mosques. But they are prohibited from attending Jumuah congregations with men. Women may pray at home, but can enter mosques under certain conditions. Many womens colleges have separate prayer spaces. He also reminded the community that ideological maturity should not be expected from a 16-year-old, calling the fathers correction commendable. But the AP faction escalated their criticism further. Rahmathulla Saqafi Elamaram said, If families allow their children to roam in liberal environments without sufficient religious learning, this is what happens. Parents must be careful especially those who are role models for the community, he said. Salafi organisations, meanwhile, openly supported Fathimas remark. Wisdom Islamic Organisation general secretary T K Ashraf said her statement was the correct Islamic position that deserves wide discussion. In Islamic matters, none of us have the right to turn truth into falsehood under pressure. Personal positions or relationships do not matter before principles, Ashraf said. Youth League national secretary Najma Thabsheera told TNIE , I have been seeing Fathima excel in public speaking from a very young age. She, with great knowledge, is clear in her vision. These scholars should understand one thing: if they have any hate towards the Panakkad family, it should not be taken out against a 16-year-old girl.
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