Who is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, cleric who helped defer Nimisha's execution?

The Kerala-based religious leader reportedly made last-minute interventions to stop the execution of the 37-year-old nurse Nimisha Priya, who hails from the same state

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

At 94 years of age, Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar— known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad—has taken centre stage in the efforts to delay the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen.

 

Nimisha Priya’s execution was scheduled for July 16 in the killing of her business partner, and Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. According to news reports, Musliyar held talks with religious authorities in Yemen, urging them to release the 37-year-old nurse.

 

The Kerala-based religious leader reportedly made last-minute interventions to stop the execution of the 37-year-old nurse, who hails from the same state. His appeal was supported by a prominent Sufi scholar from Yemen.

 

Here’s all you need to know about A P Aboobacker Musliyar 

* Musliyar, also known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, is a prominent Sunni cleric based in Kerala and holds influence across South Asia, according to Mint.

 

* Born in Kozhikode, he is the head of the Markaz Knowledge City project, an initiative in Kozhikode. It has medical and law colleges, as well as a cultural centre.

 

* In February 2019, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was formally recognised as the Grand Mufti of India at the Gareeb Nawaz Peace Conference held at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. The event was organised by the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam.

 

* He also serves as the general secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama.

 

* Abubakr Ahmad made news in the past for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a stance that drew criticism from some within his community.

 

* In 2020, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, urging them to revise the CAA and the NRC by removing religion as a basis for citizenship eligibility.

 

* In 2019, he had also called upon the Muslim community to accept the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute.

 

Abubakr’s role in Nimisha Priya’s execution

Speaking to ANI, Abubakr said “In Islam, instead of killing, there is also a practice of giving Diya (compensation). I requested them to accept Diyaat as the party is ready here for it. There are talks going on about whether my request has to be accepted. The date of execution was tomorrow, but it has now been postponed for some days.”

 

He said that he is not considering Priya’s religion but rather her humanity as he sought 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.

 

A PTI report suggests that Abubakr was able to defer her execution by getting support from his Yemeni Sufi scholar friend, Habib Umar bin Hafiz, who was supposed to discuss Priya’s case with Mahdi’s family in Dhamar on Tuesday.