(MENAFN- Live Mint) Nimisha Priya's Execution: Prominent 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.

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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.

Who is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad?

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.

Also Read | Nimisha Priya's husband says 'relieved, happy' after execution date postponed

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.

Opposed CAA, welcomed Babri Masjid Verdict

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 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 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi issue.

“We respect the Supreme Court. Everyone must strive for peace in India. The victory or defeat over the Babri Masjid incident may be significant to every party, but the protection of India and its sovereignty is much more important. Babri Masjid is a place of worship for Muslims, but equally important is that all people live peacefully in India,” Abubakr had said in 2019.

Role in Deferting Nimisha Priya's Execution

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.

Abubakr is said to have initiated a new mediation effort through his long-time friend and Yemeni Sufi Islamic scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz.

"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 Yeme ,” 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.

Also Read | Nimisha Priya execution: Petitioner tells SC only remaining option is...

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."

(With agency inputs)

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