Women offer namaz at Mangalore masjid, create history

For these 15 Muslim women—as much as for the entire Muslim community—this Eid-ul-Fitr would be etched in history.

In a path-breaking event, these 15 women were allowed to offer namaz in a mosque on Eid-ul-Fitr in Mangalore on Friday on the directions of Karnataka high court. Mangalore, along with Kerala, celebrated Eid on Friday. History was created, when Noor Masjid opened its doors to the women, following the court’s orders to offer namaz in the mosque.

The women had earlier petitioned the court seeking to be allowed to offer namaz in the mosque after being repeatedly denied the right to offer prayers to celebrate Eid-ul Fitr.

The Noor Masjid managing committee is headed by Sunnis and they had opposed entry of women into the Masjid. But the Salafis – a sect in Islam – had argued that they wanted the women to be allowed to pray inside the mosque on Eid-ul-Fitr.

The high court in its order delivered to the Masjid committee directed it to allow the 15 women to pray, citing their names.
But when a few women who were not mentioned in the list sent by the high court also wanted to offer prayers, the Masjid committee disallowed them.

The copy of the court order was also sent to the Mangalore South Police station. The Mangalore South police inspector, Ramakrishna told DNA that “We have carried out the order of the high court to the last letter and allowed the 15 original petitioners to offer prayers at Noor Masjid.