New Delhi, August 31 2026 — Kerala Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad sparked a nationwide debate after stating that women should remain within their homes and avoid public life, citing the Quran as support and defending the practice of purdah as a safeguard for dignity and security.
During the same speech the Mufti illustrated his view with a jewellery analogy, comparing a gold necklace kept in a cupboard to a stone‑grinding machine left by the roadside. He argued that, like a necklace exposed to the street, women brought into public spaces could suffer “great destruction,” and that purdah prevents such outcomes.
Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) leader Dr Shalini Ali promptly condemned the remarks, describing them as highly objectionable and reflective of a regressive mindset. “India's daughters need an open sky, not confinement,” she asserted, adding that women cannot be treated as possessions to be protected by restricting their freedom.
Ali emphasized that confining women in the name of dignity or security undermines their rights, aspirations and achievements. “A woman is neither a gold necklace nor a decorative object that can be locked away in a box. She is a free human being with dreams, talent, hard work and the right to make her own decisions,” she said.
The MRM leader warned that equating women with inanimate objects reveals the core problem of such thinking. She reminded listeners that contemporary India has moved far beyond the notion that a woman’s role is limited to home and family. Today, Indian women serve as fighter pilots, scientists, doctors, engineers, judges, journalists, entrepreneurs and sportspersons, contributing to nation‑building across sectors.
Ali concluded that genuine respect for women lies in recognising their capabilities and allowing them the freedom to choose their own paths, rather than attempting to protect them through confinement.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf