More Muslim scholars in Kerala vent out at football craze among youth

A day after Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyathul Ulama, a prominent Muslim body, criticised the soccer-crazy youth in Kerala, more Islamic scholars have come out against people spending time to watch football matches and worshipping the players as idols saying it was just ''foolishness''.

Salafi preacher Abdul Muhisin Aydeed asked what was the benefit for an individual and the society if a particular team wins the match in the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.

He said the football matches give no benefit to the society as well as to the families of the individuals but still several people are lavishing praise on this football craze among youth.

''The valuable time of human life is just killed by watching this game. Anyone, this society or your parents are benefitting out of this? Still, people are showing enmity over this game and fighting each other on road,'' the scholar said in a function.

''What a foolishness it is,'' he asked.

The video of a portion of the speech was posted on the cleric's Facebook account.

Another scholar Perode Abdurahman Saqafi also reportedly slammed erecting cutouts of star players and sought the immediate intervention of the religious leadership against the football craze among the Muslim youths.

Nasar Faizy Koodathayi, general secretary of the Qutba committee under the Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyathul Ulama, on Friday had expressed concern over football fans spending so much money on the cutouts of Argentina's Lionel Messi, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr of Brazil.

He lamented that students were losing interest in studies due to the games in Qatar.

''It is not right to wave the flag of Portugal which colonised many countries,'' the cleric said, adding that it was not right for Indians to respect and wave the flags of other nations.

State Education Minister V Sivankutty and Indian Union Muslim League leader M K Muneer had reacted against the statement of Samastha leader by saying watching football and becoming fans of football legends were part of one's personal freedom.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)