CPI(M)'s Sreemathy Teacher slams Kanthapuram over remarks on women staying confined to homes

Thiruvananthapuram - CPI leader P K Sreemathy has rebuked Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar for suggesting women should remain indoors. At a Kerala Islamic conference, Musliyar claimed women's public presence would bring societal ruin and that purdah, a practice of concealing women's bodies, is ordained by Islam.

Sreemathy, who also heads the All India Democratic Women's Association, condemned the remarks as misogyny. She posted a video of a young Muslim woman rebutting Musliyar's views on Facebook. She added a clip of students from a mixed-religion higher secondary school participating in Onam festivities, arguing that traditions and beliefs have evolved.

Musliyar's remarks are part of a broader debate sparked by a circular from the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, which advised women not to perform alongside men in public. The circular has sparked outrage among women activists. Musliyar's stance, rooted in the teachings of religious scholars, has been defended by the leader, who claims adherence to religious doctrine grants him the right to speak on the subject.