Kerala cleric Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar invokes Islamic clemency laws to stall Nimisha Priya’s death sentence amid stalled diplomacy.
New Delhi: 16 July 2025
The 94-year-old Kerala-based Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, popularly known as the Grand Mufti of India, has made a real impact in religious diplomacy by pausing the execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse sentenced to death for murder in Yemen.
Musliyar officially Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is the 10th person to hold the ceremonial title of Grand Mufti within India’s Sunni Muslim community. Although not a government-recognized title, it commands immense respect in religious and community circles. Based in Kozhikode, Kerala Priya’s home state he also serves as the chairman of the Markaz Knowledge City, a sprawling educational and cultural complex that includes law and medical colleges.
In Priya’s case, Musliyar contacted senior religious experts in Yemen and successfully initiated conversations with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni citizen Priya was convicted of killing in 2017. Using his expertise in Sharia law, Musliyar pointed to the Islamic concept of diyya, or “blood money”, which allows the family of the victim to forgive the convict for compensation.
“Islam allows for mercy. If a person is sentenced to death, the victim’s family has the right to forgive,” Musliyar explained, urging Yemeni leaders to prioritize compassion over capital punishment.
His intervention was critical, especially as India lacks formal diplomatic ties with Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Sana’a, where Priya is imprisoned. Musliyar’s prominence made the execution more pliable, allowing both parties to bargain for some more time.
He has been updating both the Indian Government and the Prime Minister’s office accordingly. It remains volatile but this humanitarian breakthrough has given us hope in a complicated diplomatic case.
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