'Women should stay confined to homes': Kerala Islamic scholar Kanthapuram
Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar stated women should remain confined to their homes. He defended a recent circular from his organization which advised women against public platforms. Musliyar cited religious texts which he believes mandate purdah for women's protection. He asserted that knowledgeable scholars have taught these views for a century. The scholar vowed to continue…
In his remarks at an Islamic conference in Kochi, Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, an Islamic scholar, stated that women should remain confined to their homes. This opinion followed a controversial circular issued by the Kanthapuram faction of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, which advocated that women should not participate in public platforms alongside men.
Kanthapuram defended the position by emphasizing that Islam had mandated purdah for women to prevent the "great destruction" that their presence on public platforms could cause. He cited the Quranic instruction that women should live confined within their homes and refrain from public appearances. The Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama's circular, which prohibited religious celebrations and programmes from extending beyond certain boundaries, led to criticism from various quarters, including women political leaders who questioned the directive.
Kanthapuram maintained that such views had been taught by religious scholars, particularly Samastha leaders, for approximately a century, and that women's honor and dignity had been preserved because of this guidance from knowledgeable individuals and leaders. He also stated that religious scholars had a responsibility to speak on the issue despite facing criticism, asserting that they would continue to do so regardless of objections.
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