Haji Ali having separate entry, exit points for men and women was good enough: Noorjehan Niaz

Q: How old were you when you visited the Haji Ali dargah? When were you stopped from visiting the inner sanctum (mazaar)?
I have been visiting the Haji Ali dargah since my childhood. At that time, the inner sanctum was open to all. Women and men were able to enter from either side and exit from any side without discrimination. Some years ago, they made two separate entrances for women and men. These entrances also served as exits. Because men and women entered and exited separately, there was no question of intermingling. But only the entrances and exits were separate. I visited the dargah with my colleagues some time in March 2011, and this arrangement was in still place.

When I visited the shrine in June 2012, the entrance and exit reserved for women had been completely blocked. That means women were not able to enter the sanctum at all. The entrance reserved for men was, however, open. Women were thus debarred from the sanctum completely.

We complained to the trustees and also complained to the state minorities commission. But the trustees refused to appear before the commission.

Q: The Haji Ali trust in their affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court justify their stand on imposing the ban by calling it a measure against harassment of women. Have you or has anyone you know faced harassment in the dargah?
I have never faced any harassment. This is not to say that other women may not have faced it. But the arrangement in which men and women entered and exited through separate doorways was good enough. There was no way that women could be harassed with this arrangement. There was no intermingling. So their reason does not stand at all. And harrassment of women does not happen in the sanctum only. Women are harassed everywhere. Does that mean they should be debarred from going to that place? And what about harassment within the family? Women face sexual abuse by close male relatives within the family. What do we do then?

Q: Are there any other dargahs where women are not allowed inside the sanctum? Is this a recent development or a tradition?
In 2012 we did a small survey to find out the situation in other dargahs. Out of the 19 we visited, only seven, including Haji Ali, barred women from entering the sanctum. Others had no such restrictions. In Haji Ali it is a recent development, as recent as between March 2011 and June 2012.

Q: Is there a difference between a dargah and a mosque? Are there any rules governing both, especially in regards to women?
Dargahs are tombs of saints who are revered by people. A mosque is a place where people congregate to offer namaz. Many mosques in Mumbai and in other cities have enclosures for women. Most don't, some do. So, in principle, and based on the Quranic value of equality, women and men are not be debarred either from a dargah or a mosque. This goes against the Islamic value of equality of genders.