By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: All India Muslim Mahila Andolan today lambasted the comments of Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad in which he reportedly said Muslim women have no role in politics, rather they should stay at home and produce children of good race. The group staged a protest against the comments and in support of Women Reservation Bill at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The group condemned efforts not to pass the bill in its present form, for one reason or other.
Naish Hassan, founder member of All India Muslim Mahila Andolan, said she is not against Muslim women reservation but this can be done later by amendment. There is no purpose to hold this at present stage. “We are not against quota within quota for Muslim women in the Women Reservation Bill. But this is not appropriate time to raise this question. First let this bill pass as it is, and then we will fight for quota for Muslim women. Dirty politicians who have no base are opposing this bill. They are feeling insecure with this bill,” she said.
Eminent rights activist and president of ANHAD Shabnam Hashmi condemned the Shia cleric for his controversial comments. “He says that women should produce children of good race. It means he wants only cream to be ruler of the country. Muslim women should just produce such leaders. When women were raped in Gujarat, where were these clerics? They were sitting in their comfort zone. Did they visit the women who were in their homes but raped? They want us to be in home to be safe, but were those women who were in home were safe? We are here to tell them: stop your stupid talking in the name of Muslim women,” she said addressing the gathering.
“A Muslim woman if she believes in Allah is answerable to Allah. She will decide whether she wants to offer prayer one time or five times, whether she wants to live in home or engage in social and political activities. We do not need middlemen,” she said.
Albina Shakeel, Member, Delhi Committee of All India Democratic Women Association said: “We are supporting this bill because as women in the society whether we are Muslim women or other women we all face a lot of problems. And at a juncture when something is being done for women as a class we should support it. First we are women and then comes any affiliation of community, caste or class.”
“We are not against quota within quota. But first let this bill pass. Amendments can follow.”
“We are outraged at the comments by some clerics that our place is at home. On one hand they say there should be quota for Muslim women in the bill, on the other they say we should not come out of home.
Lyricist and newly nominated Rajya Sabha Member, Jawed Akhtar came down harshly on clerics for not giving proper rights to Muslim women but not calling for quota for women and trying not to let the bill pass. “Those who are now talking about quota for Muslim women, they never talked about the atrocities on them by the way of triple talaq in one go. I ask Muslim Personal Law Board if they ever tried to stop this. They want quota for Muslim women in Parliament, have they given them any quota in their home. Muslim Personal Law in India does not accept right of Muslim women in agricultural properties. This is anti Islam and anti Quran. But have these clerics ever tried to remove this discrimination?”
