IUML Chief Defends Kanthapuram's Remarks as Concern for Women
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Kerala president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal said on Tuesday that All India Jamiyyathul Ulama general secretary Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar's recent remarks on women in public religious celebrations were likely motivated by safety concerns rather than a desire to restrict their rights. Speaking in Malappuram, Thangal suggested Kanthapuram intended the restriction for women's "benefit" amid growing instances of women being "abused and misused," and indicated the call was an appeal for greater social control. He stopped short of criticism, saying the Muslim League would stand with what it considers beneficial to society. Kanthapuram's earlier circular by the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama had urged religious bodies not to allow women on public stages and roads, and his defence of confining women to their homes and of purdah at a Kochi meet had drawn criticism from political leaders and civil society.
Why it matters
The IUML's soft-pedalling offers political cover for Kanthapuram within Kerala's Muslim establishment, allowing the League to navigate the controversy without alienating its religious constituency. The episode keeps the spotlight on the limits placed on women's public participation in community events and the political cost of defending such positions.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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