New Delhi, August 31, 2026 – Kerala Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad sparked a nationwide controversy on Thursday when he said women should remain at home and avoid public life, citing his interpretation of the Quran.
Dr Shalini Ali, a prominent figure in the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), responded immediately, asserting that India's daughters need an open sky rather than confinement. She described the mufti's remarks as highly objectionable and rooted in a regressive mindset that treats women as possessions.
Ali emphasized that restricting freedom in the name of dignity or security undermines women's rights, aspirations and achievements. “A woman is not a gold necklace or 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 mufti, defending his stance, compared women to a gold necklace displayed in a jewellery shop. He argued that a necklace is kept safely inside a cupboard to protect its beauty, whereas a stone‑grinding machine is often left by the roadside. According to him, exposing women to public life could cause “great destruction” and purdah serves to prevent that outcome.
Ali rejected the analogy, pointing out that a piece of jewellery can be owned and stored, but women are autonomous individuals with constitutional rights. “A woman is not anyone’s property. She owns her own life. Her education, career, public participation and decision‑making cannot be curtailed in the name of protection,” she asserted.
She reminded listeners that contemporary India has moved far beyond the notion that a woman's role is limited to home and family. Women now serve as fighter pilots, scientists, doctors, engineers, judges, journalists, entrepreneurs and sportspersons, contributing to nation‑building across sectors.
Ali concluded that limiting women to the home not only curtails personal aspirations but also restricts the nation's potential, urging society to recognise and support women's capabilities in all spheres of life.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News