Chekannur Maulavi

Muslim scholar Chekannur P.K. Mohammed Abdul Hassan Moulavi
Born	1936 Edappal in Malappuram district of Kerala, India
Died	1993
Ethnicity	Malayalee
Region	Malabar
School tradition	Sunni Islam
Notable ideas	Rational interpretation of Quran and Sunnath

Chekannur Moulavi (born Chekannur P. K. Mohammed Abdul Hassan Moulavi on 1936, disappeared July 29, 1993) was a progressive Islamic cleric who lived in Edappal in Malappuram district of Kerala, India. He was noted for his controversial and unconventional interpretation of Islam based on Quran and Hadeeth.^[1] He disappeared on 29 July 1993 under mysterious circumstances and is now widely believed to be dead. His life and disappearance are the subject of a documentary, Ore Oru Chekannur, for which filming began in 2009.^[2]

Biography

The son of Abdullakutty and Fathima, Moulavi was born in 1936 and studied Islamic theology and Arabic at Baqiyathu Sallihath in Vellor, and at Vazhakkad Darul Ulloom. Although he became a religious teacher at the age of 24, his "incompatible" progressive views caused him to leave three teaching assignments in Arabic colleges in Kerala. He began thereafter to spread his own revolutionary ideals,^{[3][dead link]} in which he directly based his interpretation of Islam on Quran, paying little attention to conventional wisdom or Hadith. His controversial teachings — especially and subjects such as Muslim Personal Law, women's rights and the proper methods for praying — drew considerable attention and, from religious orthodoxy and extremist fringe groups, disapproval.

Background

Since Islam reached Malabar as early as 7th century it had almost mixed with the culture and traditions of Keralites. So, ultimately the Islahi Movement in Kerala, part of the renaissance of the community, resulted in the division of Mappilas as "Sunnis" (more orthodox sect than the other) and "Salafis" (both of these belong to the Sunni branch of Islam) in 1925. It's interesting to note that the faith of the Mappilas was a mixture of "Sunnis" and "Salafis" before these renaissance. The Shia branch is almost absent amongst the Muslims of Kerala.

The modern theological orientations amongst the Muslims of Kerala are primarily divided into three, though all these belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. They are; 1) Sunni orthodox sects of Shafi school (A. P. Sunni-Kanthapuram, E. K. Sunni etc.), 2) Adherents of Mujahid -Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (A. P. Mujahids, Madavur etc.), and 3) Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (simply Jama'at). The Sunni classification referred to here are identified by their conventional beliefs and practices and adherence to Shafi school of law, while the other two theological orientations,the Mujahids and the Jama'ats, are seen as reform movements within the community.^{[citation needed]}

Disappearance and investigation

Chekannur Moulavi was last seen on 29 July 1993 when, according to his wife Howah Umma, he left his home to deliver a speech on the invitation of two unidentified people in a vehicle that did not have a number plate. Following a complaint by his wife and uncle Salim Haji, an investigation was launched that also drew considerable public attention, leading to a reward of Rs 3 lakh being offered by police for information related to the case. The CBI took over the case in 1996, and in 2000 arrested two members of the ultra orthodox Muslim sect, which is linked to Sheikh Aboobacker Ahmad, under suspicion of murder.^[4] By 2005, those accused of the murder numbered 10. The case was hampered by the disappearance of a number of witnesses, whose property was seized when they fled abroad rather than appear to testify in 2008.^[5]

Moulavi's wife Hawa Umma had filed a petition seeking to array Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musaliyar also as an accused in the murder case through her lawyer Advocate S.K.Premraj and the same was allowed.^[4] The Kerala High Court set aside the order, which was challenged in the Supreme Court. Though elaborate arguments were advanced by Advocate S.K.Premraj before the Supreme Court, Kanthapuram who was defended by the legal stalwart Harish Salve ultimately won the legal battle.^{[citation needed]}

The CBI special court in Kochi on September 30, 2010 sentenced V V Hamsa, the first accused in the murder of Chekanoor Maualvi, to undergo double life imprisonment and a fine of Rs. one lakh. Stating that the maulavi case was a rarest of rare case, the prosecution had demanded death sentence. Pronouncing the verdict, Special court judge S Vijaykumar said, of the fine amount, Rs. 50,000 should be given to the Maulavi’s wife. Hamsa had been found guilty by the court on September 29, while remaining 8 accused were acquitted.

‘In the present day world of personal grudge, religious rivalries and physical violence, criminals seek to achieve a stage of being wiser than our criminal law. That cannot be allowed at any rate in a developed criminal legal system as ours’, the court had observed on September 29.

The court found that after killing Maulavi, his dead body was disposed off in some mysterious manner so as never to be recovered.^[6]

References

1. ^ 'Chekannur profile'
2. ^ Documentary on Chekannur Moulavi
3. ^ 'early life'
4. ^ ^{a b} 'Court orders trial of Kanthapuram'
5. ^ Chekannur Maulavi murder case: CBI court orders confiscation
   of assets of witnesses - Newindpress.com
6. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article804461.ece

Persondata
Name	Maulavi, Chekannur
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1936
Place of birth	Edappal in Malappuram district of Kerala, India
Date of death	1993
Place of death