Divided they celebrate Samastha centenary

Two major Sunni factions in Kerala, led by Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal and Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, are celebrating the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama’s centenary in different ways.

Two major Sunni factions in Kerala, led by Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal and Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, are celebrating the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama’s centenary in different ways.

Both of them claim to be the torch-bearers of the Samastha, an organisation of traditional Islamic scholars formed in 1926 with the sole objective of countering Islamic reformists widely known as Wahhabis, Mujahids, or Salafis.

Despite being a breakaway faction formed in 1989, Kanthapuram’s Samastha has taken the lead in planning a diverse range of centenary celebrations. Notably, Kanthapuram asserts that his organisation is the original Samastha, despite its formation in 1989 after he and a few other leaders broke away.

“We are the original Samastha, upholding the original ideologies of Ahlussunnah [those treading Prophet Mohammed’s path],” said Kanthapuram during an interview with The Hindu last year. There was a smug smile on his face.

The Kanthapuram Samastha faction kicked off its celebrations on December 30, 2023, in Kasaragod. Interestingly, his rival Samastha is planning its mega centenary conference in Kasaragod from February 4 to 8, 2026 with the theme ‘Centuries of unwavering ideology’. A jumbo organising committee was formed last week for the next year’s celebrations amid wrangles within the Samastha over its relationship with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

“We have no problems in the Kanthapuram group celebrating the Samastha centenary. Let them do it as they wish,” said Sathar Panthallur, former State general secretary of the Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), the most vociferous arm of the Samastha.

When the Kanthapuram Samastha is known after his initials A.P., the original Samastha is known after the initials of E.K. Aboobacker Musliar. Whenever the leadership of the EK Samastha meets, internal differences almost always cast a shadow over the key decisions. Even last week, controversial Mushawara member Musthafal Faizy’s suspension stole the spotlight, dwarfing the news of the Samastha jumbo centenary committee’s formation.