Malabar History journal

Under Muhammad Abdurahman’s direction, the Al-Ameen Company was incorporated in 1923. The first issue of the tri-weekly publication started out on October 12, 1924, on Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. It began with a message from Malayalam poet Mahakavi Vallathol.

On June 25, 1930, the newspaper became a daily. However, it stopped publishing from August 6 to November 20, 1930, due to the failure to submit Rs 2000 charged as fine by the British for publishing provocative reports.

Later, the decision was reversed, and the newspaper started publishing again on November 20 of that same year. However, it continued to attack the British rulers and was ultimately banned by the government on September 29, 1939.

Political standpoints

Abdu Rahman believed that being patriotic was a crucial aspect of the Muslim religious faith. He wrote an editorial for Al Ameen in which he referred to the Salt Satyagraha as ‘Jihad ul Akbar’ or ‘The Great Holy War’.

The newspaper helped people know about developments relating to Khilafat and the Congress and published the opinions and other items of ‘Comrade’ published by Maulana Muhammed Ali Sahib.

The British authorities were outraged by Al Ameen editorials that opposed the curfew and reported on protests related to the Salt Satyagraha. The government ordered Abdurahman to pay a fine of Rs 2000 on August 4 for publishing provocative editorials and reports, which he refused. The press was consequently sealed, and the publication was put on hold for three and a half months. Upon a withdrawal of the action, Al-Ameen made a comeback on November 20th, 1930, with a statement expressing its joy to once again be able to serve the community and country without any compromise in its ideals.

Al-Ameen opposed the plan to banish the Mappilasーduring the outrage in Malabar against the Britishー to the Andaman Islands. Abdulrahman wrote several articles in both English and vernacular newspapers to express his opposition to this scheme. He asserted that the purpose of this plan was to silence the Muslims who were actively engaged in the independence struggle by sending them to a location where they would experience the wrath of nature and incurable diseases.

During the Malabar rebellion, majority of the newspaper articles focused on acts of violence by “fanatical rebels,” while neglecting to mention the atrocities carried out by government forces like the army and police. Al Ameen distinguished itself at that time by bringing attention to the atrocities carried out by the government forces, which at the time did not receive adequate coverage in the other newspapers.

The Al-Ameen also supported the spread of Khadi and Swadeshism (patriotism). It published an article by the nationalist Muslim K. Ahammed urging Indian Muslims to stop wearing foreign clothing and start wearing khaddar as a sign of respect for themselves and their motherland.
As a result of the anti-British criticisms, Al-Ameen became even more disliked by the authorities and was banned by the government on September 29, 1939

References

• Prakash, B. (2018). Economic history of Keralam from 1800 to 1947 AD, Part 1: Malabar. Thiruvananthapuram Economic Studies Society. https://keralaeconomy.com/admin/pdfs/ECONOMIC.pdf
• Prakash, B. (2016). Agricultural backwardness of Malabar during the colonial period: An analysis of economic causes. Social Scientist, 16(6/7), 51–76. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3517275
• Karinchan, S. (2022). Science and society in colonial Malabar, 1847–1947 (Doctoral dissertation, Kannur University). Department of History, Kannur University Campus, Mangattuparamba.
• Joseph, S. (2008). Print and public sphere in Malabar: A study of early journals (1847–1930) (Doctoral dissertation, University of Calicut). Department of History, University of Calicut.
• Thomas, M. V. (2012). The role of Malayalam newspapers in the freedom movement in Kerala (Doctoral dissertation, University of Kerala). Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus.
• Al Ameen. (n.d.). Islam Kavadam. Accessed June 9, 2023, from https://www.islamkavadam.com/charithram/muslimkal-keralathile-muslim-prasidheekaranagal-al-ameen
• Islamonweb. (2020). അല്‍ അമീന്‍ പത്രത്തിന്റെ ആരംഭത്തിന് 96 വർഷം: ഓണ്‍ലൈന്‍ പതിപ്പിന്റെ ലോഗോ മലപ്പുറത്ത് പ്രകാശനം ചെയ്തു. Islamonweb. Accessed June 9, 2023, from https://islamonweb.net/ml/12-October-2020-2792