Keralam Islamic scholar says women’s public appearances will cause ‘great destruction’

Following a controversial circular saying “women should not be present on public platforms”, Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar on Sunday said women should remain confined to their homes.

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The Kanthapuram faction of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, the State’s premier council of Sunni-Shafi Islamic scholars, last week said religious celebrations and programmes should remain within prescribed boundaries.

In a recent circular, Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama president E. Sulaiman Musliar and general secretary Mr. Aboobacker directed that women should not share stages with men or appear in public spaces alongside them. The circular drew criticism, with several women political leaders speaking out against it.

Speaking at an Islamic conference in Kochi on Sunday, Mr. Aboobacker said bringing women onto public platforms would lead to “great destruction” and claimed that Islam prescribed purdah for women to prevent this.

“It is precisely recognising that bringing women onto public platforms in this manner causes great destruction that Islam mandated purdah for women. The Holy Quran states that women should live confined within their homes and must not make public appearances,” he said.

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Mr. Aboobacker said such views had been taught by knowledgeable religious scholars, particularly leaders of Samastha, for the past 100 years.

“Therefore, you must understand that it is because all knowledgeable people, especially the leaders of Samastha, taught this here for 100 years that the women in this country have maintained their honour and dignity,” he said.

He said religious scholars who had studied the religion had an obligation to speak on the issue and would continue to do so despite objections.

“When this is said, if leaders of any other organisation or Samastha leaders object to or question it, we have studied the religion and therefore have an obligation to say it. We will say it and continue to say it. No one can make us stop,” he said.