Church in Kerala opens gates for Eid prayers
Malappuram (PTI): In a heartwarming display of communal harmony, the gates of a church compound in Kerala's Malappuram district were opened for Muslim faithful to offer Eid prayers on Wednesday.
Hundreds of Muslim faithful gathered on the spacious grounds in front of the Nicholas Memorial CSI Church in Manjeri on Wednesday morning. They came together to participate in the Eid prayers organised by the Joint Eid Committee, Manjeri. The decision to open the church gates for Eid prayers stemmed from the closure of the Government UP School ground, which usually served as the venue for Eid prayers in the predominantly Muslim town. The closure was due to preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Fr Joy Maslamani, the vicar of the church, expressed happiness at the opportunity to extend hospitality to the Muslim community during this auspicious occasion. He emphasised the importance of fostering love and unity, especially in times marked by religious tensions. Abdul Ali, a member of the Eid celebration committee, praised the inclusive gesture, stating that such secular spaces offer a powerful response to divisive forces seeking to sow discord among secular-minded individuals.
This gesture by the authorities of the Church of South India (CSI) was hailed by netizens as the true "Kerala Story." This move also comes at a time when various churches under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church were screening the Sudipto Sen-directed controversial movie "The Kerala Story," which tells the story of a group of women from Kerala who were forced to convert to Islam and join the terror outfit ISIS.
Netizens opined that the CSI Church's act of solidarity transcends religious boundaries and serves as a reminder of Kerala's rich tradition of coexistence and mutual respect among diverse communities. Hailing the Church authorities, K M Hussain Majeri, a digital creator, wrote on his Facebook, "This is 'the real Kerala Story'."
Jouhar Trippanachi, who attended the Eidgah at the Church ground, said that it was a heartwarming Eid day at the joint Eidgah held at CSI Church Ground. "The Eidgah is a platform for unity and religious friendship within the community. Such instances are very chilling in this demonic age where conscious efforts are being made to divide people in the name of religion. Thanks to Father Joy Masilamani and Manjeri CSI Church officials. Eid Mubarak to all," he wrote on his Facebook page.
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
