The All India Muslim Personal Law Board Says Women Were Never Prohibited From Entering Mosques. Is This A Step Forward?
India, they say, is one of the most religious and culturally rich countries out there. But what they often fail to mention is the fact that it is also one of the most hypocritical nations while at it. We are secular but at this point, it looks like that is only on paper. Each religion is feeling threatened and is threatening in return. And the people at the head of the religion- the priests, the imams, the rabbis – have been our way to reach god. You know, as mortals clueless about the ways of God, they define the way and guide people so they know to get closer to an Almighty of their choosing. A lot the knowledge that these religious people have is derived from religious texts.
Of course, these religious texts are open to interpretation. But across religious, most of the understanding of these texts translates into better access and benefits for the men, while the women are relegated to a corner. And while women shall fight to be seen as equal (we are in the eyes of our gods), we have to agree that if the translation from book to reality wasn’t so skewed to serve men, we’d have a better chance. So, it’s only fitting that something like this should come about. We are talking about the All India Muslim Personal Law Board offering an affidavit to the Supreme Court, clarifying that Islamic texts that do not prohibit the entry of women in mosques.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has offered insights into the Islamic texts and said how women were always free to visit and pray in mosque and the only underline here was that while they were always allowed, they weren’t obligated to attend the Friday prayers in congregation.
Entry Of Woman Into Mosque For Namaz Is Permitted In Islam: All India Muslim Personal Law Board
Let us hope those who raise this issue to justify the ban for Women’s entry in Sabarimala will listen. https://t.co/zT7T35KiSA
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) January 29, 2020
Muslim women permitted to enter mosques to offer namaz, AIMPLB tells SC https://t.co/SgLZLsIPx0 pic.twitter.com/5Uj8mpwU1F
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) January 29, 2020
Also Read : Sabarimala Verdict: Supreme Court To Refer The Case To A Larger Bench To Address The Greater Issue Behind It
The affidavit that reached the court on the petition that has been filed by a Maharashtra-based Muslim couple, Yasmeej Zuber Ahmad Peerzade and Zuber Ahmed Peerzade, that argued for the top court to declare the prohibition of women entering mosques as unconstitutional. It further also said, “such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity of a woman as an individual but is also violative of the fundamental rights,” and we wholeheartedly agree.
Recalling the verdict on the Sabarimala case that restricted women of the menstruating age to enter the temple, to the fact that for the longest time women weren’t allowed to perform kirtan at the Golden Temple, religion has always found itself deeply tied with gender. However, as we saw Sikh women being eventually allowed to perform kirtan and the court ruling for a bigger bench on the Sabarimala case to once and for all address the fact that religion can not be used to deny rights of worship to women, it’s time women are not shunned by religion.
The petition also mentioned how women were only allowed to offer prayers at mosques of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Mujahid denominations but were restricted from mosques under the predominant Sunni denomination. However, even when allowed, there were always separate entrances and enclosures made available for them to worship in peace in full right and faith. Something that we are hopeful to see happening!
