Relief From Yemen Death Row Today: Muslim Cleric Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Who Aided Kerala Nurse
Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who was scheduled to be executed in Yemen on Wednesday, got a sigh of relief after the Houthi-run nation postponed her punishment in the murder case of a Yemeni national.
Authorities in India, along with some other organisations, raced against time as Nimisha's execution was originally scheduled for July 16 but was postponed on Tuesday.
A 94-year-old Muslim cleric with a community title of ‘Grand Mufti of India’, Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, also stepped in to mediate with the victim's family, after which the execution was postponed by the Yemeni authorities.
Who Is The Grand Mufti Of India?
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, also known as Musliyar, is a Sunni Muslim cleric based in Kerala, also the home state of 37-year-old Nimisha Priya. He is among the top figures in the Sunni sect of Islam in India and the South Asian region.
While the title of 'Grand Mufti of India' is not official in terms of the government's approval, Muslyar is widely known by the same title and is the 10th person to hold the title.
His religious authority extends far beyond Kerala, reaching international platforms through frequent sermons and engagements across the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
Beyond his religious pursuits, Musliyar is deeply involved in educational and social projects. He serves as chairman of the Markaz Knowledge City project in Kozhikode—a vast private township encompassing medical and law colleges, as well as a cultural centre.
The cleric has also made headlines for his outspoken views. During the widespread protests against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019-20, he publicly registered his opposition to the legislation but advised women against participating in street demonstrations.
Negotiations With Victim's Family
For Nimisha Priya’s case, Musliyar engaged in delicate negotiations with religious authorities in Yemen, who maintain contact with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni national Priya allegedly killed in 2017.
As a mufti and scholar of Sharia law, he has pointed to the Islamic principle of clemency through financial compensation—commonly referred to as “blood money”—as a potential path to save Priya’s life.
“Islam has another law. If the murderer is sentenced to death, the family of the victim has the right to pardon,” he told the news agency ANI. “I don’t know who this family is, but from a long distance, I contacted the responsible scholars in Yemen. I made them understand the issues. Islam is a religion that places a lot of importance on humanity.”
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