Thiruvananthapuram, October 12: After the Supreme Court’s verdict to allow entry to the women of all ages into the Sabarimala Temple, a Kerala-based Muslim women's rights group is likely to approach the top court, demanding the entry of women in all mosques, across the country. According to reports, NISA, a progressive women's forum, will not just seek permission for women to offer prayers at mosques, but also demanding that women should be appointed as ‘Imams’. The outfit also wants to end practices like polygamy and Nijah-Halala in Islam.

NISA president V P Zuhra told PTI that there were no records stating that the Quran and Prophet Muhammad had opposed women entering mosques and offering prayers. She also termed the apex court’s decision on the entry of women of all ages in the temple of Lord Ayyappa as historic. The activist said, "Like men, women also have the constitutional rights to offer worship according to their belief. So, like in Sabarimala, we want the entry of women in all mosques, cutting across denominations and establish their right to worship." Mann Ki Baat: On Triple Talaq Bill, PM Modi Says Muslim Women Will Get Justice

She added, “Women are only allowed to offer prayers at mosques under Jamaat-e-Islami, while they are barred from mosques under the Sunni faction.” Even in the mosques where women are allowed, there are separate entrances and enclosures for worship for men and women, the NISA chief said. Recently, NISA had approached the top court, demanding equal property rights for Muslim women.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by a right-outfit Hindu group seeking entry of women in mosques to offer prayers, on lines of the Sabarimala verdict by the Supreme Court. A plea by Swamy Sai Swaroopnath, state president of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha was rejected by a division bench of Chief Justice AK Jayakrishnan Nambiar and Justice Rishikesh Roy, saying that the petitioner failed to provide enough documentation to prove his claim.

On September 28, The Supreme Court struck down the rule prohibiting entry of women between the age of 10-50 years by 4:1 majority. The five-judge bench comprising of the then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar, Nariman, Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra. However, Justice Malhotra was against the verdict.

 

(With inputs from PTI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2018 07:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).