This was one radical Eid for the Muslim women of Kendrapara, a small town 100km from here. They managed to defy an age-old tradition to read namaz at the Zamiat-Ahle-Hadis mosque on the occasion of Eid.
“I have dreamt of reading the namaz in a masjid ever since I was a child. It came true today,” said 41 year-old Sophia Seikh, one of the hundreds of women of this Muslim-dominated town who came to the mosque to offer their prayers. The men did not oppose the break with tradition, but Muslim leaders across the state were guarded in their comments on this development.
Progressive and conservative elements in the Muslim community have often clashed over the issue of allowing women to offer prayers in mosques. The All-India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) has pointed out in the past that there is nothing in Islam that forbids namaz by women. Last year, the board organised a special namaz for women in a mosque on the outskirts of Lucknow. In Kerala too last year, a court asked the mosque authorities in a small town to allow women to offer namaz in the premises.
The spokesperson of the Kendrapara mosque, SK Amiruddin, believes that if women could undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina then they definitely hold the right to offer prayers at a mosque. “At this point, we should not oppose the entry of women into mosques. It is a case of empowerment of women. Others should follow us,” he said.
Reacting to the development, a leading woman advocate and secretary of the Talaq Mahila Sahayata Samitee, Saira Mirza said: “I cannot comment on this sensitive issue just right now. Before commenting on this issue, I have to consult with my seniors and other members of the communit”.
“I cannot understand why men should oppose a woman’s right to read namaz in a mosque,” said Maluana AsfqueAli. However, he chose to remain silent when asked if Kendrapara’s example would be followed by other mosques too.
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