Chief Minister VD Satheesan has rejected Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar’s position that women should remain inside their homes, saying neither his government nor his party would stand by it.
Chief Minister Rejects Misinterpretation of Women’s Role in Society
The Chief Minister has firmly rejected claims suggesting that women’s participation in the public sphere leads to societal ruin. He stated, “No, we do not agree at all with his statement that if women enter the public sphere it will cause great ruin, and that the Quran says women should remain submissive and stay inside their homes. We cannot agree with that stance in any manner. Not in any way.” This response highlights a commitment to advocating for women’s rights and challenges traditional interpretations regarding their roles in society.
The speech followed a circular issued last week by Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Ulama president E Sulaiman Musliyar and general secretary Kanthapuram, directing local committees, mosques and madrasas to ensure Islamic celebrations stayed within religious limits. The circular also objected to non-Islamic customs being mixed into celebrations. It came amid a rise in Milad-e-Sharif programmes in public spaces by youth clubs rather than mosque committees. The Indian Union Muslim League, a partner in Satheesan’s cabinet, declined to take a position.
“Neither this government nor our party will stand with any of that,” he said. It said bringing young women among unrelated men on public roads and stages was not appropriate for believers. Hitting out at the cleric, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said girls in Kerala would not be pushed into medieval seclusion by clerical diktat, and accused both the Congress and CPI(M) of appeasement. State general secretary PMA Salam said the party would neither reject nor justify the scholars’ view, since religious organisations have their opinions and the League has its own political stand. The row has unfolded days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the Manusmriti at a party event in Pune on August 22, telling an audience of women students that the mindset of suppressing women comes from Manusmriti and urging them to “smash the patriarchy”.
BJP Criticizes Rahul Gandhi’s Silence on Cleric’s Remarks
BJP state president Chandrasekhar has criticized Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for not responding to controversial statements made by Muslim cleric Kanthapuram. In his remarks, Chandrasekhar accused Gandhi of hypocrisy, stating, “Rahul Gandhi, when he talks about smashing patriarchy, does not actually believe in it. Otherwise he would have condemned the statements given by Muslim cleric Kanthapuram.” This statement highlights the ongoing political tensions surrounding issues of gender and religious discourse in the region.
