The controversy over the recent fatwa issued by the Darululoom Deoband against working Muslim women refuses to die down.
The controversy over the recent fatwa issued by the Darululoom Deoband against working Muslim women refuses to die down.
Just days after the seminary invited the wrath of liberal Muslims and civil society in general, forcing it to reword the fatwa, a case has come to light where a college teacher has quit her job citing the edict.
The woman, who taught at the Burhani College, Mazgaon, as an ad hoc member, was due for permanent posting this year. “But she is soon to be married. She said her prospective in-laws consider her earnings to be ‘haram’ as per the fatwa,” said Farrukh Waris, vice-principal of the college.
The teacher who quit was entitled to a handsome salary, as per the sixth pay commission, which would be over Rs30,000 per month.
Also, two students of the college’s arts faculty have quit. “They did not (cite the fatwa as the reason), but we put two and two together. We even tried to convince the parents of one, but it was futile,” Waris said.
“This will have a detrimental effect on women. It is difficult to fight something when religious sanctity is given to it through fatwas. Lately, more women are opting for studies… and then we have these cases too!”
“This way, there will be no scope for coeducation. Most women in the community are self-employed but a section of (Muslim) men are against it,” said Farida Lambay, vice-president, Nirmala Niketan and member of the Maharashtra Study Group, a body formed by the state government for the implementation of the Sachhar committee report.
“This (issuing such fatwas) is shaming Islam. The way Islam is practised in India is a blot (on society). Not even in Islamic countries do we have the kind of marriage laws we have here,” said Javed Anand, editor, Communalism Combat.
“We will try to reach out to people in ghettos and other places and request the media to be careful,” said Irfan Ali Engineer, director, Institute of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.
Waris, Lambay, Anand and Engineer were speaking at a press conference at the Press Club on Thursday. It was organised by the Aawaz-E-Niswaan (Voices of Women).
Reacting to the press conference, All India Ulema Council general secretary Mahmood Ahmed Khan Daryabadi said: “Darululoom has not issued a fatwa that says women’s earnings are haram.
One should first check what the college management has done. They may have forced her to leave and are now blaming it on a fatwa that does not exist.”
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