Despite apology, Malayalam daily faces boycott for criticising Prophet

Kasaragod, Mar 10: Kerala's second second-largest newspaper Mathrubhumi is facing the ire of Muslim organisations and individuals after it published offensive comments about Prophet Muhammad.

Even though the Malayalam daily tendered an unconditional apology for its offence, members of several Muslim groups on Wednesday and Thursday protested vociferously against the newspaper.

Crowds gathered outside the newspaper's offices in several places, burning copies and calling for it to be boycotted. The protestors allegedly stoned the Kozhikode office.

The controversial comment was a response to a story on Kerala High Court judge Kemal Pasha's observations on polygamy among Muslims and Muslim personal law.

The judge pointing out the misogyny in the law had also asked whether Muslim men would be okay with Muslim women having four husbands.

On Wednesday, the Kozhikode and Thrissur editions of Mathrubhumi carried responses to Kemal Pasha's views in the AppsTalk section of the newspaper. One of the posts criticized Prophet, without naming him, for marrying a “minor” girl.

The post triggered massive protests. The Popular Front of India (PFI) was the first to hit the streets. They were followed by other groups like the Social Democratic Front of India (SDPI), the National Development Front (NDF) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

The daily readily obliged to their demands by tendering an unconditional apology in its print and online editions on Thursday, social media pages and television channel. This was followed up with a detailed apology on the front page in all its 10 editions in Kerala, four editions in the metros in the country and two overseas editions.

“We understood that the reactions to the remarks made by the judge while inaugurating a seminar on the Domestic Violence Act at Kozhikode on Sunday had hurt the believers,” the apology by the Editor said. “We regret for publishing them.”