Dar ul – Ulooma, acclaimed the highest madarssa in India has come up with yet another Fatwa against Muslim women. The Ulooma rule that women should not work in offices and other places, side by side with men. Earlier Sania Mirza the ace tennis player, a Muslim by faith, was castigated for wearing skirts on the tennis courts. The argument given is that women should remain within the confines of their homes and should necessity arise they should work only with all women organizations. Women are like diamonds and they should be locked up in vaults or fitted with rings for their own safety. They are cashiers and should look after home, not working to earn. In today’s world the staunch opposition by Muslim women and intelligentsia can gauge how practical this fatwa is. Some of them have gone to the extent of blaming the Mullahs for Muslim backwardness.

The one thing common with both types of diktats is the talibanisation of the community. You fall in line or you are done for. This is happening at a time when two Muslim countries have had the privilege of Women Prime Ministers, Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan and Begam Khalida in Bangladesh. We have read, heard and seen the strict rules for women in Iraq, Iran. UAE and other Muslim countries but in India, Muslims are more liberal. Muslim women are seen in fashion designing, offices, movies, and sports, almost everywhere. Education among Muslim women is on the rise. Educated women can only help in educating their children and an educated community is not far from development.

The need of the hour is to keep on refining the culture, do away with outdated customs and have tolerance. No one has the right to take the law of the lands into his hands and such culprits should be punished. Often politics and politicians take advantage of such situation and try to twist the issues to their vested interest. The society should be vigilant.