Police has registered case against the activists of Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO) for carrying out unauthorised pro-Palestine demonstration on the lands of Madayipara Dewaswom temple sans any sort of permission. It is a vast ground housing two temples. Moreover, Kerala High Court has reportedly banned similar programmes there in view of the ecological significance. The programme in question was carried out on Tiru Onam Day, September 5, an auspicious day for Hindus and a festival day for the entire state. GIO is reported to be the women wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Pazhayangadi police have registered an FIR against GIO Kerala General Secretary Afra Shihab and 30 other members of the organisation under Sections 189(2) (joining an unlawful assembly), 191(2) (rioting by an unlawful assembly), and 192 read with 190 (liability for offences committed by members of an unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The reports suggest that more than 700 people participated in the demonstration.
The suo-motu FIR filed of September 5 says that around 30 known workers of the Girls Islamic Organisation, led by Afra Shihab, “unlawfully” assembled at Madayippara “with the intent to commit an offense and cause disturbance in society.” It reads “They conducted a demonstration in the environmentally significant Madayipara area, raising various flags and banners and chanting pro-Palestine slogans while moving through the area, without permission”.
The police stated that various organisations opposed the pro-Palestine demonstration, but they did not specify the names.
The video of the demonstration is available on social media. It shows participants chanting slogans such as “Free, free Palestine,” “Down with Israel” and “Israel is a terrorist state”.
BJP has demanded to book the demonstrators under the provisions for the prevention of anti-national activities. Party alleged that the girls were brought in a school bus. They demanded actions against the school also in this regard. They refuted the GIO’s claim that they did not know that it was Madayipara Dewaswom land. Apparently, the Malayalam channels that highlight the police action and support the demonstrators keep mum about the fact that it was the Dewaswom land. BJP maintain that GIO selected Onam Festival day deliberately to incite communal riots. BJP is agitated as police has not arrested anyone so far.
But, there are people who criticise the Pinarayi government, calling it “hypocritical,” as they (the government) publicly expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Responding to the FIR, former GIO president Afeeda Ahammed on Facebook stated that the same Pinarayi-led police who, at a previous party meeting, wore Palestinian scarves to show their solidarity.”
Jamaat-e-Islamic has reportedly stated that they would face the police actions legally.
Referring to the FIR, Student Islamic Organisation (the boy students wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami) Kannur district president Nidhal Siraj called it a “double standard” of Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister.
The statements of both GIO and SIO are public acknowledgements that Pinarayi and CPM have been soft to them.
A pro-Palestine solidarity meet by GIO is scheduled to be held on September 7, Sunday, at Payyambalam Beach in Kannur.
The latest episode proves once again that the state is the safe haven for these sorts of anti-national activities. As Organiser has repeatedly stated in the past that here in Kerala, both the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF) are in tight competition to appease the minority vote bank at any cost. The government did not take any action against the pro-Hamas programmes held in Kerala in the past. Top Hamas terrorist leader Khaled Mashall virtually addressed a programme in Malappuram in October 2023. On another occasion, in February 2025, images of senior Hamas leaders were paraded atop elephants in Palakkad. But, no action!
Therefore, GIO and Jamaat-e-Islami are not worried much. Their outbursts against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, LDF and the police are mere PR exercises. And, they know that UDF would not utter a word against them in this regard. Both Fronts are trying to appease these forces as Local Self Government bodies elections are due in couple of months and assembly elections occur in Aril 2026.
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