Don’t talk to male colleagues: Darul Uloom's fatwa to all working Muslim women

The Darul Uloom of Deoband, India’s largest Muslim seminary, wants all working Muslim women to cover up. On Tuesday, the Darul Uloom, which is the spiritual home for the arch-conservative Deobandi School of Islam, issued a fatwa against working Muslim women, saying it was “un-Islamic for them to do any job in government or private institutions where men and women work together and where they have to talk to men without the veil.”

According to the Deoband clerics, the Shariat clearly mentions that women should wear the veil in office and should not mix with male colleagues. “The fatwa says that women should exercise restraint. They should maintain their dignity. It is advisable for them to wear the veil when they are in the company of male colleagues,” Maulavi Maqsood Imran, the deputy Imam of Bangalore’s Jamia Masjid told DNA.

The fatwa, which has been endorsed by clerics of other schools of thought, has not impressed Bangalore’s corporates very much. “Muslim women are an emancipated lot, and they have moved ahead in India. We must understand that clerics come from a very different socio-economic background. The society needs people who can march ahead and take our nation ahead,” said Khalil Ahmed, former executive director of Shantha Biotech.

Infosys HR head TV Mohandas Pai felt that such fatwas will not deter Muslim women from taking up jobs. “In recent times, a large number of Muslim women are getting educated and are becoming a part of the mainstream. I wish more Muslim women take up jobs, which will be good for India.” The women agree. “You can’t expect women not to work with men. This is not practically feasible,” said Rummana Ahmed, an associate producer with an MNC. “I don’t see any use for this fatwa. Why the Deoband is doing this, I don’t know,” said Anula Aboobacker, a media professional.