‘Those who give tickets to women are anti-Islamic’: Ahmedabad’s Jama Masjid Shahi Imam’s controversial statement | Video

The Shahi Imam of Ahemdabad’s Jama Masjid Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui in Gujarat made controversial remarks Sunday on the participation of Muslim women in politics. The religious leader thrashed those who gave election tickets to Muslim women and called them anti-Islamic.

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Speaking to the news agency ANI, he said, “You’re talking about Islam so I’ll tell you one thing…if Islam allowed women to show up in public like this…they wouldn’t be prohibited from mosque premises (for offering namaz)...they are not allowed in mosques because women hold a certain position in Islam…so anyone who gives (election) tickets to women are rebelling against Islamic values…aren’t there men (in politics) that you need women?...” He further continues “this will weaken our religion...if you keep making women MLA, councillor…we’ll not be able to protect hijab…”

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He referred to the Karnataka hijab row and said, “Indulging women in politics will weaken our argument in court in such matters because then the court will state that Muslim women are becoming part of assembly halls, parliament, municipality…” as he objected to Muslim women’s participation in politics.

“Had there been some law in our country that mandated that only women can fight from a particular constituency…then out of compulsion it could have been allowed but there is no need to indulge women in politics unnecessarily," he said.

The Shahi Imam further referred to the Delhi MCD election and alleges that parties involve women in politics and give them tickets only for tokenism.