New Delhi : A group of Muslim women on Monday moved the Supreme Court demanding entry into all mosques in the country, claiming that the Quran does not bar women’s entry and citing historical sources that show “Prophet Muhammad had himself encouraged women to actively participate in mosque congregations and prayer.”
The petition has demanded that at least every mosque that receives monetary aid from the government be prohibited from discriminating against women since Article 15 of the Constitution clearly prohibits discrimination by the government on the basis of sex. It is further pointed out that religious bodies that receive the taxpayers’ money are also subject to this condition imposed by the Constitution.
“In fact, the Quran greatly frowns on efforts to keep believers away from the mosque and a plain reading of many Quranic verses will show that no special distinction is made between men and women believers,” the petition has said. The petition comes on the heels of a Hindu women’s petition in the Apex Court, calling for an end to the ban on their entry into select temples, such as the Ayyappa temple in Kerala and the Trimbakeshwar and Shani temples in Maharashtra.
‘‘It is very unfortunate that not a single political party or a chief minister, women included, has thought of advancing the interest of Muslim women by providing them with access to mosques that receive monetary in the form of taxpayers’ money. It is because of such failure that a need has arisen for Muslim women from several states to approach the Supreme Court,’’ the petitioners’ lawyer contended.
Women are allowed to enter mosques that have a separate space for them, but most mosques in India do not have any such space. Socially, Indian women are not encouraged to regularly pray at mosques even if they do have separate enclosures.
Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Delhi, said there was no ban on Muslim women entering a mosque. “Islam gives permission for women to enter and pray inside,” the Imam of India’s largest mosque explained. He, however, blamed male chauvinists in the community for barring women inside many smaller mosques. “Traditionally, these local committees have never allowed women to enter mosques,” he said.
The petition says that the Quran does not contain any verse or commandment that prohibits women from entering a mosque or praying there. It adds that the Quran casts the same religious duty on both the sexes – women are not subject to less religious duties or obligations. Further, both sexes are promised the same spiritual rewards – men are not promised more.
“The most sacred mosque in the world for Muslims embraces both men and women. Also, there is complete unanimity in the Muslim community on the Masjid-al-Haram in Mecca being the most sacred mosque to all Muslims in the world; every able bodied Muslim is required to visit it at least once in his lifetime. Does this mosque allow women to enter it and pray inside? Absolutely,” the petition points out
