A statement by Islamic scholar Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar has sparked widespread controversy after he criticized the popular fitness program MEC 7. He claimed that it encourages inappropriate intermingling of men and women. Musaliyar, a prominent Sunni leader in Kerala, made these remarks while expressing concern about the perceived erosion of religious boundaries through fitness initiatives that he believes promote physical interactions between men and women in a manner that contradicts Islamic principles.
Musaliyar’s comments centered around the MEC 7 program, which has gained popularity across the northern parts of Kerala. He argued that the program, in the name of exercise, has led to men and women exercising together, with women also reportedly exposing their bodies during sessions.
He claimed that such activities violated Islamic norms regarding gender separation and modesty. “Not just that, women are exposing their bodies and doing this exercise. The program has even abolished the thought that men and women seeing one another is ‘haram’,” he remarked.
Political Leaders Criticised
The statement has drawn strong reactions from various political figures, with Kerala’s Higher Education Minister R Bindu calling the remarks regressive and gender-biased. “This statement is highly reactionary and gender-biased. We live in the 21st century, but still, some people resort to these obsolete ideas,” she said, expressing her disapproval.
Political leaders from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have also joined in the criticism. CPM State Secretary MV Govindan responded with a veiled attack on Musaliyar’s comments, labeling them as chauvinistic and backward. “Reactionary ideologies won’t last any longer, be progressive,” he asserted, calling for a more inclusive approach to modern societal developments.
Musaliyar, however, has defended his position, claiming that his critics fail to understand the need to preserve religious and cultural values in the face of changing societal norms. He also expressed frustration with those who dismiss his concerns as outdated. “When we raise these issues, the question is: isn’t this good? Isn’t exercise good? They abuse us Musaliyars by saying we have not understood the world,” he added.
The debate has ignited a wider discussion about the intersection of religion, culture, and modern fitness trends in Kerala, with advocates of gender equality arguing that such views are out of step with contemporary norms of inclusivity and progressivism.
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