Keralam chief minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday challenged Sunni Islamic scholar Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad’s remarks on keeping women confined to their homes, calling it a “misinterpretation” of Islamic history.
It is not a position that suits progressive Keralam. We cannot agree with it in any manner. To prove his argument, he cited examples of women who held positions of power in the religion. “These examples show that women had a place even in the royal court.
Therefore, we cannot agree with such a position in any manner,” the chief minister said.
The cleric, who holds the title of the Grand Mufti of India, had reportedly sparked outrage after he said women should not be allowed into the public sphere as it would lead to destruction. The Keralam chief minister rejected the scholar’s remarks saying his view does not align with the “progressive” tradition of the south Indian state, news agency PTI reported. Addressing a press conference after the state Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said, “We have absolutely no agreement with that statement. Opposing this view, Keralam CM Satheesan said women were not meant to be confined to their homes and should take part, even play a central role, in all spheres of life and society. “That is our progressive position, without any doubt,” he said. Keralam chief minister V D Satheesan said the cleric’s view amounted to a “misinterpretation” of Islamic history. The chief minister said Prophet Muhammad’s first wife Khadija was a successful businesswoman, while another wife Aisha, participated in the Battle of the Camel and had played a leadership role.
