On a complaint by a Democratic Youth Federation of India worker, Kunnamkulam police register a case against the teacher under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
NEW DELHI — A Muslim teacher in Kerala has been suspended after reportedly asking Muslim students to refrain from participating in Onam celebrations, as the festival belongs to others, not Muslims.
The teacher named Khadija from Sirajul Uloom English High School in Kadavallur, Thrissur, reportedly circulated a voice message to all parents of Muslim students asking them not to encourage taking part in Onam festival calling it a festival of “other religions.”
Following a complaint by a worker of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Kunnamkulam police registered a case against the teacher under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with provocation with intent to cause riot, media reports say.
In the purported audio message, media reports quoted, the teacher reportedly said, “We Muslims should live by adhering to Islam. Onam celebrations are polytheistic and should not be encouraged. Neither we nor our children should encourage Onam celebrations in any way. Joining in with the customs of people of other religions may turn into ‘shirk’,”
She further added that children should be raised in an Islamic culture and must be kept away from the rituals of other faiths. “Our children are very young so they should be taught the seriousness of taking part in such celebrations. For this Onam, neither us nor our children are taking part,” she said.
As the incident triggered a controversy, the school management announced that it has suspended two teachers who had circulated separate audio messages on the issue.
The reports suggest that while Khadija insisted the decision to circulate such voice message was made by the school management, the management distanced itself calling it her “personal opinion” of the teachers and not the school’s stand.
Onam, the harvest festival that celebrates Kerala’s legendary King Mahabali, has long been observed as a cultural, rather than a purely religious, event.
