It would have otherwise been a clever politico-PRO move by US diplomats in India to woo the Muslim community. However, since their chosen venue happened to be Kozhikode, the nerve centre of Malabar Muslim politics in Kerala, the undiplomatic move was thoroughly exposed and heavily backfired.

The occasion was a workshop on "Islam and Women", better called "Islamic Feminism", organized by the Chennai-based US Consulate at Hotel Hyson Heritage, Kozhikode, on December 22. It was supposed to be under the joint sponsorship of the local Farooq College which is run by a Muslim management. However, they dissociated at the last moment following protests from Muslim bodies and intellectuals. The main speaker at the event was Prof Margot Badran, a senior fellow at the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington.

Claimed to be an expert in "Islamic feminism", her topic was academic: "Islam and multiple discourse of gender". However, as soon as the invitation from US consulate reached the press and selected invitees, the hidden agenda was known: a clever maneuver to counter the strong anti-American sentiments which prevail in the Muslim-dominated Malabar region, and which only multiplied after the recent Iraq events. At the best, both the chosen time and venue turned out to be undiplomatic blunders!

The lead for the protest was taken by the radical Muslim outfit, National Development Front (NDF), and its women's body, Kerala Women's Front (KWF) who staged demonstration and dharna in front of the hotel even before the workshop started. Another demonstration was staged by followers of the Sunni leader, Kanthapuram Aboobecker Musaliar, belonging to Sunni Students Federation (SSF).