Kerala: Sacked Professor Josef’s sibling Sister Stella has come out and said that her brother, whose right hand was chopped off by Islamic radicals for his objectionable comments on the Prophet, is willing to apologise. Josef was also recently sacked by his college administration for his comments.
Two days after a college sacked Professor Josef for his blasphemous comments against the Prophet, the civil society in the state is wondering if the sacking was warranted and if the government is indulging in hypocrisy.
The professor’s sister Stella, in conversation with CNN-IBN on India @ 9, said that her brother was a victim of Talibanisation.
When CNN-IBN asked whether she believed that the Muslim community has the right to decide who to forgive or who not to and whether Professor Joseph wanted to apologise to the Muslim community, Stella said that her brother had already apologised many times after he came out of jail. “He called the ASIANET channel and apologised to the Muslim community, the college management and the college itself and to the people but then even if he has to ask pardon he is most willing to ask pardon as far as I know my brother. He accepts all religion and he believes that every religious person has a right to believe in whatever he/she wants to believe,” said Stella.
In response to CNN-IBN’s query that the incident has revealed how certain Kerala groups like the Popular Front has Talibanised the Kerala civil society and was responsible for the attack on the professor, Stella said that she believed that her brother has become a victim.
“He has become a victim of this injustice that is seen in India today, especially in Kerala. This is unheard of in Kerala. Many years ago I left India to work abroad as a missionary sister. This incident is unheard of. There are different issues that are affecting the world today and I feel that he is a victim of this."
However, in face of such brutality, the Centre is still dithering on whether to ban the radical outfit Popular Front of India.
It’s been 48 hours since the church-run Newman College sacked Lecturer T.J. Josef for having set a question paper, which enraged Muslim radical groups. Muslim fanatics had chopped off his hand two months back. While teachers in the state have rallied behind him, politicians are playing it safe. Civil society says the Kerala society is divisive.
“It’s a case of double jeopardy. First, he has his hand chopped off by fanatics then the management of the college decides to punish him for something he did not commit. There was nothing wrong in the question paper he set. The name Mohammad was for a character in a story and not of the Prophet,” said social activist C.R. Neelakandan.
“Both the state and Union governments are unclear about what to do with the Popular Front of India, which was behind the attack on Joseph. For the moment there is no ban on the outfit,” said columnist BRP Bhaskar.
“Some elements in the outfit harbour extremist ideas though many others in the organisation were not aware of this, PFI has not come under the 'unlawful activities' parameters. At present there was no move to ban the outfit,” said Home Secretary G.K. Pillai.
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