Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has extended accolades to the worldwide Malayali community for their collective efforts in raising an astounding sum of Rs 35.45 crore through a crowdfunding campaign aimed at securing the release of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode, who has been incarcerated in Saudi Arabia for over 18 years and facing the death penalty.
Expressing his appreciation on social media, Chief Minister Vijayan remarked, “When the propagandists of hatred spread lies against the state, the Malayalees are raising their defence through stories of humanity and philanthropy. For the release of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, Malayalees all over the world have joined hands and collected 34 crore rupees.”
Abdul Rahim, employed as a house driver and caretaker of a disabled boy in Saudi Arabia, was sentenced to death in 2018 under Saudi law for an incident resulting in the death of the boy. Rahim’s account of the tragedy involves an accidental dislodging of a life-support device attached to the boy while stopped at a red light, leading to the child’s demise.
The campaign to save Rahim gained momentum as his family sought ‘blood money’ amounting to 15 million Saudi riyals for his release. The legal action committee orchestrated the crowdfunding effort, which utilized the ‘SAVEABDULRAHIM’ app to collect funds, amassing over Rs 30 crore through online contributions and achieving the fundraising target through offline donations.
The social media campaign, spearheaded by influencers, NRIs, businessmen, and social activists, garnered widespread support, rallying individuals to contribute to Rahim’s cause and amplify his plea for clemency.
With the fundraising goal attained, the committee has ceased further donations and plans to liaise with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to expedite Rahim’s release before the looming April 15 deadline.
Chief Minister Vijayan hailed the initiative as a testament to human compassion, affirming, “To save a human life, to shed tears of a family, they created. This is the real Kerala story. This is a firm declaration that Kerala is a fortress of brotherhood that cannot be broken by communalism. We heartily appreciate all the goodwill that has united for this cause which has made Kerala proud in front of the world. The role played by expatriate Malayalis behind this initiative is commendable. Let us move forward with one mind, stronger for this unity.”
