Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
India

India's Supreme Court Considers Call To Open Mosques To Women

Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Apr, 2019 06:28 PM

    The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and various Muslim bodies, including All India Muslim Personal Law Board, on a petition filed by a Muslim couple from Pune seeking direction to allow Muslim women to offer namaz in all mosques.


    However, a Bench of Justice SA Bobde and Justice S Abdul Nazeer expressed reservations as to whether courts can direct mosques to allow entry of women.


    “If people in mosques don’t want you (women) to enter, can you agitate right to equality against them? Fundamental right to equality is only against the state and not individuals,” it said.


    But the Bench said it will examine the issue in view of Constitution Bench verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups into Lord Ayyappa’s Temple at Sabarimala in Kerala. A Constitution Bench had ruled that age restrictions on entry of women amounted to gender discrimination.


    “Is a mosque state? Is a temple state? Is a church state? Can you invoke Article 14 (equality before law) of the Constitution and claim equal treatment from another human being?” the Bench asked the petitioner.


    “We are only hearing you, and maybe we will hear you in the future, because of Sabarimala judgment. But you are not giving any satisfactory answer. We’ll see,” it said issuing notices to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Minority Affairs, National Commission for Women, Maharashtra State Board of Waqfs, Central Waqf Council and All India Muslim Personal Law Board.


    Asserting Muslim women’s right to equality, right to non-discrimination and right to religion, petitioners Yasmeen Zuber Ahmad Peerzade and her husband Zuber Ahmad Nazir Ahmad Peerzade—who hail from Pune—said Muslim women should be allowed “to pray in the musalla without being separated by a barrier, including in the front and in mixed-gender congregational lines”.


    They cited the example of Mecca, where “the faithful, both men and women, together circumambulate the Kaaba”. Besides, most sacred mosques in the world equally embrace both—men and women, the submitted.


    Referring to the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups in Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, the petitioner couple said, “The Hon’ble court in the case of Sabraimala held that ‘religion cannot be used as cover to deny rights of worship to women as it is against human dignity’. Prohibition on women is due to non-religious reasons and it is a grim shadow of discrimination going on for centuries.”


    They demanded that all fatwas restraining Muslim women to enter mosque should be quashed and purported customary tradition banning women’s entry into mosques declared unconstitutional and violation of right to equality, right to non-discrimination, right to live with human dignity and right to religion.

     

    Pointing out that there was no mention of gender segregation in either the Quran or Hadith, the couple contended that such practices were repugnant to basic dignity of women and violated their fundamental rights.


    There were no records stating that the Quran and Prophet Muhammad opposed women entering mosques and offering prayers, and in fact men and women have equal constitutional rights to worship, according to their beliefs, they submitted.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    India Facing Shortage Of 6 Lakh Doctors, 20 Lakh Nurses, Claims Study

    India has shortage of an estimated 600,000 doctors and 2 million nurses, say scientists who found that lack of staff who are properly trained in administering antibiotics is preventing patients from accessing live-saving drugs.

    India Facing Shortage Of 6 Lakh Doctors, 20 Lakh Nurses, Claims Study

    Capt Amarinder Singh Slams Modi For 'Discriminating' Against Punjab Government

    Capt Amarinder Singh Slams Modi For 'Discriminating' Against Punjab Government
    Upping the ante against Modi, who on Sunday had targeted him in a speech at Kathua, Amarinder asked why the PM had not pointed fingers at the Akali leaders, including the Badals, for failing to attend the central government function on the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

    Capt Amarinder Singh Slams Modi For 'Discriminating' Against Punjab Government

    SC Issues Notice To Rahul For His ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ Comment

    SC Issues Notice To Rahul For His ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ Comment
    “We never said what has been attributed to us by Mr Gandhi,” said a Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.    

    SC Issues Notice To Rahul For His ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ Comment

    Gurugram Slum School Now Sports Inspiring Wall Art

    On the occasion of the ‘World Art Day' on Monday, the school walls got an artistic makeover by children from NGO Ritinjali, along with around 25 employees of leading publisher Oxford University Press India.

    Gurugram Slum School Now Sports Inspiring Wall Art

    VIDEO: Azam Khan Booked For ‘Khaki Underwear’ Comment Against Jaya Prada

    The Rampur police have booked Khan under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code for insulting the modesty of a woman.    

    VIDEO: Azam Khan Booked For ‘Khaki Underwear’ Comment Against Jaya Prada

    Rahul Gandhi Will Be A 'Phenomenal' PM: Actor-Politician Urmila Matondkar

    Talking about Congress President Rahul Gandhi as a Prime Ministerial candidate, Urmila Matondkar believes he will be a "phenomenal" Prime Minister.  

    Rahul Gandhi Will Be A 'Phenomenal' PM: Actor-Politician Urmila Matondkar