Ramadan Greetings: Its Che versus Shihab Thanga

KANHANGAD: What’s common between former IUML supremo late Panakkad Mohammedali Shihab Thangal and Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara? The former is a revered  leader of the Indian Union Muslim League while the latter is the icon of the Cuban revolution.While Shihab Thangal is a Sunni Muslim, Che Guevara -- a Roman Catholic -- was an agnostic.However, the DYFI -- youth wing of CPM -- and the Musilm League, has found a curious way to link this diametrically opposite leaders.Two greeting cards showing Che Guvera and Shihab Thangal are doing the rounds here in connection with the fast in the holy month of Ramadan. Shihab Thangal greets Ramadan with the words Ramadan Mubarak.The picture carrying Che Guvare also do the same - offering Ramadan Mubarak. Both the greeting cards show the timing of the namaz.These two greeting cards finally resulted in clashes between the activists of theMuslim Youth League and the DYFI resulting in injuries to two Youth League activists.The DYFI activists distributed the Che Guvare greeting cards under the jurisdiction of the Clayikode Juma’ath masjid.The DYFI activists allegedly threatened those who refused to receive the Che Guvera greetings. It resulted in clashes as some Youth League activists questioned the DYFI’s action.The injured Youth League activists - Muneer, 19, and Shereef, 23 -- were admitted to the hospital. The Vellarikundu police have registered a case and a probe is on.During the last civic elections, the DYFI had pasted the pictures of Che Guveraprinted in green along with that of Saddam Hussein in Muslim-dominated areas. It had then kicked up a controversy.