Pecking order of prayers

 

 

The first ever Muslim Friday prayer led by a woman in a mixed gender congregation was indeed path-breaking. But let me tell you that more than religion, my country matters. I’m a human being first. My mother was Roman Catholic, my father is a Muslim, I’m married to a Sikh and I have faith in Vedanta. I don’t think God has given women less dignity or less opportunity. And the problem with women does not only pertain to Muslims. It’s more to do with the circumstances and the male dominated world.

The interpretation of the Quran is in the hands of the mullahs, that has led to this situation where we are discussing this event as a great or rather positive change. Now it’s a progressive phase, rather a specialised phase and it’s important that women have the right and are given enough freedom to be allowed their own space to offer prayers. If you ask me, I think it’s about time that women have their own mosques which, I think, will be a good modern decision. So if today Tamil Nadu has a mosque exclusively for women, it’s great development. But then as far as men and women praying together is concerned, I don’t think religion is open to the concept of equality in the same space of prayer and I respect that.

Hopefully, by the next generation there will be more gutsy leaders who would interpret the Quran in all sincerity and ensure that what God meant was equal representation in religion. In this context, having a Uniform Civil Code in India is not a bad idea at all. You can’t expect the women in our country to start taking up newer initiatives unless you give them an opportunity to live a life of dignity. In fact, a civil code is a must. For example, say in the Shah Banu case, she first appealed for a safety bracket in her life but because her husband had sanctuary under the Muslim law, she had to appeal to the Indian law courts, which created a big hue and cry. So when the Muslims appeal to the Islamic Justice System and do not get justice, they should have a civil code to back them up and look up to for justice. If a code of conduct cannot be applied then something must be done to curb the oppression to which Muslims, or women of any other religion, are subjected.

As for Muslim women, the question of whether they should fight for their freedom or whether it would slowly evolve and change is debatable, but before that it is important to realise that every woman in India is compromising thanks to the dominance of her male counterpart in this society. She has been doing this all her life. The upbringing and later, the husband’s dominion contributed to this and the attitude percolated in the family environment. It’s high time women got what is due to them – better opportunities and a higher standard of living. Only then will the country prosper and progress towards Vision 2030.