The move aims to strengthen efforts to unearth local history and highlight the cultural heritage of the Muslim community in south Kerala. Many of these documents and magazines are with families who may not have the wherewithal to preserve them in a scientific manner. A historian and writer T Jamal Muhammed said, \”There is a need to preserve local history, the ones associated with a village or an urban area.\” He urged the enthusiasts to preserve the documents, interview people who took part in the freedom movement, and collect clippings of old newspapers and magazines. The data will be preserved by the CH Mohammed Koya Chair. We have plans to preserve manuscripts in the future,\” said Syed Abdul Ashraf of Mappila Heritage Library. The move comes as women from Malabar are becoming toppers in professional entrance examinations and are moving onto higher studies and civil services, he said. The efforts seem to have borne fruit, as women are now moving on to higher studies, according to the historian. He added that Vakkom Abdul Khader Maulavi started the Al-Islam magazine (1918) to create awareness about the need for education in the community.
