Nimisha Priya Execution: Grand Mufti In Talks With Yemen Scholars, Pushes For Pardon
The Grand Mufti said that he is not considering the religion of Priya, but rather her humanity as he requested for her release. "We have demanded this as human beings. If such a demand is accepted, then it will be very easy for Muslims in India. Muslims and Hindus all live on the same platform here," he said.
Earlier, Congress leader KC Venugopal also hailed the postponement of the execution, saying that "whoever is involved," in saving the Kerala nurse's life is appreciated. "We got the information that Nimisha Priya's death sentence has been postponed. We all requested the Central government to intervene in the matter, but we got the information that Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Kanthapuram has intervened. Whosoever is involved in saving
the human life of the woman of Kerala is welcome," Venugopal said.
The Mufti's remarks come after sources told ANI earlier that the execution of the 37-year-old nurse from Kerala was postponed following the "concerted efforts" by the Government of India. The execution was earlier set to happen on July 16. According to the sources, the postponement provides additional time for her family to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution amidst ongoing diplomatic efforts by Indian officials as they maintained regular communication with Yemeni jail authorities and the prosecutor's office while navigating the sensitivities of the situation to secure this reprieve.
"In the case of Ms. Nimisha Priya, it has been learnt that the local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution scheduled for July 16, 2025," the sources stated. On Monday, while giving the Union Government's submission on the case in the Supreme Court the Attorney General of India (AGI) stated that the Indian government is making every possible effort to help Priya.
He further informed the Court that talks are ongoing with Yemeni authorities, including the public prosecutor handling Priya's case, to secure a suspension of the execution order until negotiations can be pursued.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
21 minutes ago
- India Today
Accountability for attacks on Peacekeepers is a strategic necessity: India at UN
India has once again made a strong appeal for justice in cases where crimes are committed against United Nations peacekeepers. At a high-level meeting of the Group of Friends (GoF) for Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers, held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, stressed that justice for peacekeepers is not just important — it is a strategic Nations peacekeepers face tremendous obstacles while working in increasingly dangerous areas. But for the most part, these crimes continue to go unpunished. This lack of accountability severely undermines international peace efforts by giving assailants more confidence," Ambassador Harish said, "Therefore, accountability is a strategic necessity. In addition to being required by law, ensuring responsibility for crimes against UN personnel is essential to the integrity and efficacy of international peacekeeping efforts." According to Harish, when justice is served, it helps boost the safety and morale of peacekeepers, enabling them to do their work more effectively. "Peacekeepers' safety is directly improved by justice, allowing them to carry out their vital missions. It is our common duty to fulfil this obligation," he added. GLOBAL COMMUNITY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR PEACEKEEPERSThe meeting was co-chaired by India and other key nations. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a statement, "It also underscored the critical imperative to combat impunity for attacks against peacekeepers, emphasising that accountability is not merely a matter of justice for individuals but a basis for the effectiveness, credibility, and future of UN Peace Operations worldwide."Around 40 member states took part in the meeting, along with senior UN officials and field experts. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and improve laws and strategies that will help catch and punish those who attack UN peacekeepers. The discussions pointed to rising dangers faced by peacekeepers in conflict zones and how the failure to act only encourages more statement further noted that the discussions were focused on creating a more complete strategy. This includes both punishments for the guilty and preventative actions to stop such crimes from happening in the first place. "A holistic approach is required, involving not only punitive measures but also preventative strategies, alongside unwavering political will from all stakeholders," it LEGACY IN UN PEACEKEEPINGIndia has long been one of the biggest contributors to UN peacekeeping forces. In fact, India has sent over 300,000 peacekeepers to serve in various UN missions across the world over the past 70 years. Many of these peacekeepers have served bravely in dangerous areas and made great Permanent Mission of India highlighted this service, saying, "Indian peacekeepers have served with distinction and courage in virtually every major UN mission, enduring significant sacrifices, with 182 Indian peacekeepers having made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty."The Group of Friends for Accountability of Crimes Against Peacekeepers was formally launched in December 2022 during India's presidency of the UN Security Council. This group builds on the work of UN Security Council Resolution 2589, passed in 2021, which specifically aimed to improve accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.- EndsWith inputs from ANIMust Watch
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
The need to protect India's linguistic secularism
India's diversity in religion and language is one of the primary factors which protects the secular character of the nation, ensuring its unity and integrity. But while religion and language are the two most crucial aspects of any culture, these are also the predominant cross-cultural barriers. This is clearly visible in recent communal tensions and the violence in Maharashtra. Secularism in India is different from what the West practises. When the concept originated in England in the mid-19th century, it was explained that there should be complete separation between the state and religion without criticising any of the prevalent religious beliefs. India too accepted this notion and incorporated the concept in the Constitution in the form of rights to religious freedom. These rights are based on the principles of religious tolerance and equality. Every person has the equal right to freedom of conscience and to profess, practise and propagate his religion. This makes India truly secular as the state does not have its own religion. However, the unique aspect of Indian secularism is not only related to religion but it is also concerned with language. Indian secularism is neither pro-religion or language, nor against. Yet it is not neutral either. It is incorporated in the Constitution as a state policy and it empowers the state to take steps against communalism, be it religious or linguistic. Official vs national language This is the reason why we do not and cannot have a national language. In order to protect linguistic diversity, the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution includes 22 languages. As India is a unitary federation, that is, a Union of States, Article 343 enshrines that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The States are free to choose their own official language. This arrangement is due to the fact that in India, States are culturally integrated and no State is permitted to go out of it in the name of distinct language or culture. Article 29 incorporates that any section of citizens of India including minority groups shall have the right to protect their language, script or culture, and that language cannot be the ground for discrimination. According to the 2011 Census, India has 121 languages and 270 mother tongues. About 96.71% population of the country have one of the 22 scheduled languages as their mother tongue. Finally, the Census says that the 121 languages are presented in two parts, languages included in the Eighth Schedule, and languages not included (99) in the Eighth Schedule. Respecting diversity Such diversity needs to be protected; each and every language irrespective of region or State must be shown respect. This is the only way to protect India's linguistic secularism. Many southern and northeastern States have resisted the imposition of Hindi, citing fears of cultural domination. Dravidian movements in Tamil Nadu historically opposed Hindi imposition, favouring Tamil and English. Maharashtra, however, has emerged as the most sensitive State so far as the language debate is concerned. The recent violence against the non-Marathi population is the manifestation of identity politics. Definitely, it is not to protect its cultural identity. Had it been related to the protection of culture, the 'protectors' of Marathi language would have considered that 'tolerance' and 'liberality' are the two pillars of India's unity in diversity. India has always accepted different religions, ideas, lifestyles, food habits etc., mainly because of its liberal and tolerant attitude. In a globalising world, a conservative leaning towards religion or language will lead to a fragmentation of society and tear apart the secular fabric. Political parties have the onus to ensure the protection of India's diversity which has been well shielded by the Constitution. C.B.P. Srivastava is President, Centre for Applied Research in Governance, Delhi
Mint
22 minutes ago
- Mint
Who's the ‘Grand Mufti of India', Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad? What's his role in deferring Nimisha Priya's execution in Yemen?
Influential Muslim cleric Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar has emerged as a key figure in ensuring the deferment of the scheduled execution of the Indian nurse in Yemen. The 94-year-old Musliyar, who is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad and is revered as 'Grand Mufti of India,' held talks with religious authorities in Yemen, who were in contact with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni national she allegedly killed in 2017. Nimisha Priya, the nurse from Kerala, was scheduled to be executed on July 16 for the murder of Mahdi, her Yemeni business partner. Now the execution has been delayed. Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad made last-minute efforts to halt the execution of the Kerala nurse, with support from a Yemeni Sufi scholar, according to news agencies. He said that his intervention, at the request of Congress leader Chandy Oommen, has led to halting of the scheduled execution of Nimisha Priya. Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Kerala's Thiruvanananthapuram, hailed the role played by the Mufti. "Kerala is praying unitedly for his efforts to be successful. Honourable Kanthapuram Ustad has shown us that humanity is the most important in today's era where there are attempts to divide humans and cultivate hatred and hatred in the name of religion and community," Tharor wrote in a post on Facebook. Musliyar, whose official name is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, is based in Kerala, the home state of 37-year-old Nimisha Priya. He is a revered figure among the Sunni Muslims, not just India but across South Asia. Widely known as the 'Grand Mufti of India', the title is not official. In Islam, a Mufti is a Muslim scholar who is qualified to issue legal opinions (fatwas) on matters of Islamic law (Sharia). They act as interpreters of Islamic law, providing guidance on religious and personal matters. The term "Grand Mufti" often refers to the highest-ranking mufti in a region or country, like the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia. There is no official Grand Mufti in India. Abubakr, the general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, was, however, conferred the 'Grand Mufti of India' title in February 2019 at the Gareeb Nawaz Peace Conference held at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, organised by the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam. Born in Kozhikode, Abubakr is chairman of the Markaz Knowledge City project, a private integrated township in his hometown. The project has medical and law colleges, as well as a cultural centre. Abubakr was also in the news earlier. He opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act but was criticised within the community for his stand against women protesting against the CAA. He met both the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah in March 2020 and urged them to amend the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens to remove religion from the list of eligibility criteria for citizenship Abubakr also appealed to the Muslim community to welcome the Supreme Court verdict on Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi issue. Sources said negotiations regarding blood money have taken place, and the details were conveyed to the concerned parties in Kerala. However, there has been no official communication regarding the status of the negotiations. "Islam has another law. If the murderer is sentenced to death, the family of the victim has the right to pardon. I don't know who this family is, but from a long distance, I contacted the responsible scholars in Yemen,' he told news agency ANI. 'I made them understand the issues. Islam is a religion that places a lot of importance on humanity,' he added. Under Shariah law, as applied in Yemen, blood money is a legally recognised financial compensation paid to the family of a person who has been killed. It is a legally sanctioned alternative to capital punishment in Islamic jurisprudence. 'After I requested that they intervene and take action, the scholars (in Yemen) met, discussed, and stated that they would do what they could. They have officially informed us and sent a document stating that the date of execution has been postponed, which will help facilitate the ongoing discussions," he said. Meanwhile, sources said that an office has been opened at Musliyar's headquarters here to facilitate the negotiations. Nimisha Priya, hailing from Palakkad district, was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. She is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Centre informed the Supreme Court that the government could do "nothing much" in the case of the nurse facing execution on July 16. Attorney General R Venkataramani informed a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the government was doing "utmost possible". Islam is a religion that places a lot of importance on humanity. "The Government of India is trying its best," Venkataramani said, "and has also engaged with some sheikhs who are very influential people there."
