Id-ul-Fitr: Palayam Imam urges stand against religious discrimination, condemns war and flags moral decline in Id sermon

Shuhaib Moulavi, Deputy Imam of Palayam, strongly appealed to the citizens of the country to stand against religious discrimination and protect secular values. He emphasized that society should not allow people to be isolated or threatened on the basis of faith.

While delivering the Idgah sermon at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on the occasion of Eid-al-Fitr on Friday, the Imam narrated the story of a young man named Deepak Kumar, who confronted Hindu vigilantes to protect an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Uttarakhand.

“When asked for his identity, the man replied, “My name is Muhammad Deepak.” There are many good-hearted people in our country, like Deepak Kumar, who refuse to remain a bystander to this injustice. They live among us as members of our own communities.

These are the people to whom divine hope is pinned, as well as the real power of the country and the protectors of secularism. As long as this good will prevails, no form of communalism can disrupt the harmony of the nation. “At a time when Islamophobia is on the rise both nationally and globally, hatred should not be responded to with hatred, this evil should be responded to with goodness,” he said.

global crisis

Addressing the global crisis created by the ongoing conflict between the Israeli-American alliance and Iran, the Imam condemned the brutal acts witnessed by the war, including the bombing and killing of schoolchildren.

War continues to affect countless people across countries. In addition to affecting international trade and travel, shortages in cooking gas supplies and the possibility of steep price increases in the near future will make life even more difficult for ordinary people, he warned.

He also stated that families in Kerala are deeply concerned about expatriates and their relatives living in the Middle East. “The global leadership must be willing to make concessions to reach a peace agreement and declare a full ceasefire. Eid should inspire people to spread the message of hope and solidarity. I pray for peace to be restored in the world,” the imam said.

The sermon also discussed the ‘Epstein files’, which exposed unsubstantiated accusations against high-profile individuals linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Today, there is a culture of moral corruption that is widely discussed all over the world. Thanks to these revelations, the criminal activities of powerful politicians, businessmen and celebrities around the world have come to light. This does not mean that all politicians, celebrities or artists are bad; there are many good and exemplary people among them. However, the files reveal the abuses of some influential figures.

Reports have also emerged of their involvement in child sexual abuse and even more horrific crimes. “Such incidents point to deeper ethical failures in some powerful segments of society,” he said.