KOZHIKODE: Several Muslim political organisations that have stood with the CPM through thick and thin are at odds with the party over its objections to the recent controversial remarks made by Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar on the role of women in public life.
The National League and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), both politically aligned with the CPM, have argued that religious scholars possess the right to issue guidance on religious matters and that such statements should not be turned into political controversies. Former minister K T Jaleel has also backed Kanthapuram, maintaining that the Sunni scholar was speaking about religious injunctions and had the freedom to do so.
National League state organising secretary N K Abdul Aziz said religious and spiritual authorities had every right to speak about religious practices and spiritual norms of believers. He said the spiritual guidance issued by Kanthapuram should not be converted into a political controversy. According to him, the remarks were directed at followers of his own faith and were not intended to insult or denigrate other communities.
PDP vice-chairman Mahin Badusha Moulavi said religious scholars issue guidance on religious laws and that politicians should not attempt to determine the agenda on matters of faith. He said reminding believers about religious principles in circumstances where moral and ethical values were being eroded was part of the responsibility of such scholars.
Moulavi stressed that religious practices, beliefs and rituals should be followed by individuals in keeping with the laws of their respective faiths. At the same time, he said, the practices or beliefs of one religion should not be imposed on people belonging to another religions or on non-believers.
Attempting to shield Kanthapuram from direct criticism, Jaleel said he was speaking in the context of religious injunctions and maintained that a religious scholar could not be denied the freedom to express his views on such matters. He acknowledged that certain sections of society would find some of Kanthapuram’s observations unacceptable. Progressive groups, he said, were equally entitled to oppose views they disagreed with.
Referring to the controversy surrounding women’s entry at Sabarimala, he cautioned against creating a similar uproar over the current issue.
However, senior CPM leader P Jayarajan said every believer had the right to speak about their faith. But, he argued, when religious belief is used to prescribe how women should live, where they should appear and what they should do in public life, democratic society has every right to debate and criticise such prescriptions.
He also pointed to what he described as an apparent contradiction between public criticism over the presence of women and the approach towards women’s education in institutions associated with Kanthapuram.
Jayarajan referred to promotional videos and social media content of Fustat, an overseas educational institution under the Markaz, associated with Kanthapuram, saying they appeared to demonstrate an emphasis on women’s education and advancement. He noted that women could be seen appearing confidently and without covering their faces in promotional material for the institution.
“If women can actively appear, study and advance on the platform of an educational institution, why should their presence in public platforms be opposed?” he said.
Religious leaders should embrace equality: Jebi Mather
Mahila Congress state president Jebi Mather MP, on Tuesday, stated that any stance opposing women’s freedom and equal justice guaranteed by the Constitution cannot be accepted. She was responding to Samastha leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar’s remarks on women’s presence in public spaces.
“The right and authority of religious leaders to guide the faithful and lead them along the path of their religion are acknowledged. However, religious leaders must exercise this authority with the utmost responsibility, upholding the fundamental principles of humanity and equality,” she said in an official statement.
“Indira Gandhi stands as a symbol of the strength of Indian women. Rahul Gandhi also urged women to break the cage. Everyone should stand for social progress and equality. The Mahila Congress urges all religious leaders to embrace this principle,” she added.