Kerala Muslim organisation against Prem Nazir statue

The Kerala Muslim Jama-Ath Council (KMJC) has opposed Kerala government's move to allot one million rupees for installing a statue of late matinee idol Prem Nazir.

Prem Nazir was the evergreen hero of Malaylam filmdom for nearly four decades. His name was also included in the Guinness Book of World Records, even during his life, for  acting in maximum number of films as hero, that is 500.

The council president P.M.S. Attakkoya Thangal and general secretary A. Pookkunju, in a statement said that they would not allow the installation of the statue of a Muslim.

They said if the idea is for a memorial, a cultural centre will do. The government has
offered the funds in connection with the request of Prem Nazir Memorial Committee.

A Kerala businessman, who is a religious Muslim and does not like to reveal his name,  told TSI, " Film personality’s statue should not be mixed with religious rules and sentiments. Lots of Muslim artists are in filmdom. Lot of them are veterans in painting. Prophet’s pictures and statues are violation of Islamic rules. But, when it is of public figures, there should not be any restriction."

M.M. Hassan, chief spokesman of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee told TSI, “Views on pictures and statues have undergone lot of change under the changed circumstances. For example, motion pictures, visual and print media are showing images and pictures. When Muslims go for Haj they have to have passports with their photograph. It is the result of the changed circumstances. As a believer, I would say that prophets’ pictures and
statues are taboos, because Islam is against idol worship. Prem Nazir statue will not be used for worship. So, there should not be any controversy about it”.