A section of Muslim leaders has objected to the "pork challenge" held by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) to raise funds to build houses in landslide-ravaged Wayanad.

The DYFI, the CPM's youth wing, has conducted two pork challenges — the first in Kasaragod on August 10 and the second in Kothamangalam, Ernakulam district, on Sunday (August 18) — where they sold hundreds of kilos of meat as part of the drive to raise funds.

Kerala state secretary of the influential Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, Nasar Faizi Koodathai, alleged that the pork challenge was an act to encourage blasphemy.

In a comment on Facebook in Malayalam titled "The blasphemy being sneaked in through the challenge", Nasar claimed that pork is prohibited for the majority of the Wayanad landslide victims, apparently because they are Muslims.

“The majority of the victims of the Wayanad disaster see pork as a prohibited food. The DYFI Kothamangalam committee is fully aware of this while raising funds. It is a gross humiliation to conduct this challenge to raise funds by selling a prohibited food item although there are plenty of permissible eatables,” Nasar alleged, sparking a controversy.

Islamic religious teacher Ziyaudheen Faizy, who withdrew his initial comment against the pork challenge, however, questioned whether it would be appropriate to conduct any “haram challenge” as a fundraiser.

“Muslims are not prohibited from accepting someone’s contribution that is made of haram and halal (non-permissible and permissible source of income under Islamic law). This applies to everyone, including a liquor store owner, bank manager or pork trader. But the question here is whether a haram challenge needs to be conducted to help the poor. Is it appropriate to conduct a moneylending challenge, prostitution challenge, liquor challenge and theft challenge?” he posted on Facebook.

Former minister and CPM-backed Independent MLA K.T. Jaleel slammed the critics of the pork challenge, asking them if they would dare to refuse donations made by money-lending firms and banks as interest is non-permissible in Islam.

“Interest is haram for Muslims. But why wouldn’t these opponents of pork say donations made by moneylenders are prohibited? Isn’t the consumption of earnings from interest a bigger sin than consuming pork? Liquor is prohibited for Muslims. But faith-related offerings of liquor are not prohibited for Christians and Hindus. They don’t say heaven is inaccessible for alcoholics.”

Jaleel said the DYFI had every right to conduct pork and beef challenges to raise funds.