Deobandi Islamic clerics have dismissed the campaign by the Tripti Desai for entry in the Haji Ali Dargah as `cheap publicity stunt’. The clerics said entry of women in Dargah is not in their interest and could have serious consequences for them. The clerics said the entry of women in Dargah is `Biddat’ and against the tenets of Islam and visit by male is also forbidden if unislamic rituals like `Chadar, Kawwali and Tabaruk’ are practised there.
Earlier in February this year the Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom Deoband came to the defence of two Muslim women from Rajasthan — Afroz Begum and Jahan Ara — who became Qazis (judges), who, in Islamic legal jurisprudence, has the authority to function as the head of informal arbitration centres to sort out disputes related to personal laws as well as other matters. Deoband’s support for the two women came after conservative religious clerics in Rajasthan protested against the two women being awarded the certificate of “Qaziat” by a Islamic training Centre in Mumbai.
Bhumata brigade founder Tripti Desai is leading the campaign to allow entry of women into places of worship. She is protesting to gain entry of women in Haji Ali Dargah.
Deobandi clerics said women have not been allowed in graveyards or in the Dargah since the time of Prophet Mohammed. The prohibition is in apparently in place to save women from harassment and from being teased by miscreants. Women were not allowed at places where many men are present and activities like Qawwali are held because it leads to harassment.
Maulana Mufti Yade Ilahi Kasmi, head of the Abna-e- Darul Uloom said `` some people in the World are rasing the demand for the freedom to the goats and sheep’s so that they could easily shoot the animal. It’s the divine ordain that the women should stay in Purdah and they have been forbidden even from going to graveyard’’. Maulana said `` even if under pressure of agitation, women should not go to Dargah until there is some specific reason’’.
Arabic scholar and head of Al Koran foundation Maulana Nadimul Wazdi said ``Tripti Desai is spearheading this campaign only to gain overnight publicity. Biddit (deviation from Islamic practices) is being openly practised in places like Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai. Islam has given all the rights to the women and they should lead their life within the confines of the Islamic laws’’.
Maulana Tariq kasmi, head of Jamia Hussania `` Islam has directed the women to stay is Purdah which is for their own security and their privacy could be breached if they visit graveyard and Dargah, so it’s strictly forbidden in Islam’’. He added 11 even the male muslims should also not visit the Dargahn and mazaar where ``Chaddar’ and flowers are offered on the grave and later the flowers are distributed among the devotees as Tabarruk or Prasad in Hindi , this is against the basic tenets of Islam’’