Kerala’s Grand Mufti Sparks Debate Over Women’s Role in Public Spaces During Milad Celebrations
· India · The Hindu, News18
Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker, the 89-year-old Grand Mufti of India and founder of Jamia Markaz in Kozhikode, Kerala, issued a controversial circular asking Muslim men not to display women in public during Milad festivities, citing Islam’s prescription of purdah to prevent ‘chaos.’ The directive, issued through his role as general secretary of Samstha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, triggered sharp criticism from Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and the CPI(M), his long-standing political ally, who called the comments unsuitable for modern Kerala. Aboobacker, a prominent Sunni scholar with decades of influence in Kerala’s Muslim community, has faced recurring controversies over his interpretations of Islamic teachings. His remarks follow a split in 1989 from the IUML over influence disputes, solidifying his position as a leading voice in Kerala’s traditional Islamic body.
Why it matters
The controversy directly impacts Kerala’s Muslim women, who now face heightened scrutiny over their participation in public religious gatherings, and risks deepening societal divisions in a state known for its progressive secularism. It also tests the CPI(M)-led government’s ability to reconcile religious conservatism with its secular identity, potentially influencing broader debates on gender roles and modernity in India’s Muslim communities.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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