The real Kerala story played itself out at a church in Malappuram whose premises resonated with Eid prayers on Wednesday.
The church threw open its gates and allowed thousands of Muslim men, women and children to hold their Eid prayers on its grounds on Wednesday in a heartwarming scene of communal harmony.
In Kerala, Eid was celebrated on Wednesday as the moon was sighted on Tuesday night.
At a time when the controversial Hindi film The Kerala Story has hogged the limelight for its screenings in some churches, the decision of the Nicolas Memorial CSI Church in Manjeri, Malappuram, sets the tone for a forceful counter-narrative.
The Muslim community in Manjeri usually held its Eid prayers at the nearby Government Upper Primary School. But this time, as the school premises were taken over for the Lok Sabha elections, many wondered where they would hold the collective Eid prayers.
When the Eid celebration committee approached the church three days ago, its priest, Father Joy Masilamani, readily agreed to open the six-acre premises for the prayers.
The Eid committee quickly arranged the necessary paraphernalia, including a sound system for the prayers and carpets for the faithful, in time for the Eid prayer on church grounds.
Such interfaith cooperation is common in Kerala. But the church’s decision to allow Eid prayer on its campus this time attained added importance on account of a section of the Catholic Church screening The Kerala Story that narrates stories of how gullible women, mostly Hindus, were trapped by Muslim youths into marriage and conversion before being trafficked to the Islamic State.
Larger sections of the church have come down heavily on the decision by the Idukki Diocese and the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement of the Thamarassery Diocese for screening the movie.
The priest told The Telegraph that he was approached after the Eid celebration committee learned about the unavailability of the school premises for the prayers.
“We had no issues and immediately agreed to their request. The Eid committee quickly made all the arrangements for the prayer,” said Masilamani.
“There are innumerable examples of communal harmony in Kerala where Muslims and Hindus conduct temple festivals, Christians and Hindus cooperate in church feasts and Muslims provide financial and material assistance for all faiths. But this decision to allow the Eid prayer here is being seen in the backdrop of some sections of the church screening The Kerala Story,” he said.
“Common people are appreciating this as the real Kerala story,” he said, citing how the film is only meant for propaganda.
Muslim preacher Saudheen Salahi, based in Manjeri, praised the decision of the church and called for similar acts of cooperation and love from all faiths across the country. “The past several decades have witnessed concerted attempts to destroy secular minds. This is a strong reply to those evil forces,” he told reporters. “Our country should see more such acts of secularism and love to overcome the challenges the nation is going through,” Salahi added.
