<p>Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar on Saturday courted a controversy by saying the idea of gender equality is “against humanity” and in conflict with the tenets and spirit of Islam. <br /><br />Musaliyar, general secretary of the Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, said this while speaking at a conference of the Sunni Students Federation in Kozhikode.<br /><br />“Gender equality is a concept that is un-Islamic, lacks logic and is also against humanity,” the Sunni leader said.<br /><br />Musaliyar is known for his controversial views favouring gender segregation, said. <br />Musaliyar also tried to drive home his point by referring to the women’s lack of “himmat” (courage) while taking up jobs that involve great responsibility. <br /><br />“It’s the men who have the mental strength. Where are the female doctors in medical disciplines that involve major surgeries? They can only be paediatricians or practitioners of general medicine,” he said.<br /><br />“This insistence on boys and girls sharing bench space in class is a sly assault on Islam,” he said. In October, authorities of Farook College, an autonomous institution run by a Muslim management, had suspended a first-year sociology student for sharing bench with girls.In a response to controversies over journalist V P Rajeena’s allegations on abuse of minors in madrassas, Musaliyar termed them as baseless.<br /> </p>
<p>Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar on Saturday courted a controversy by saying the idea of gender equality is “against humanity” and in conflict with the tenets and spirit of Islam. <br /><br />Musaliyar, general secretary of the Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, said this while speaking at a conference of the Sunni Students Federation in Kozhikode.<br /><br />“Gender equality is a concept that is un-Islamic, lacks logic and is also against humanity,” the Sunni leader said.<br /><br />Musaliyar is known for his controversial views favouring gender segregation, said. <br />Musaliyar also tried to drive home his point by referring to the women’s lack of “himmat” (courage) while taking up jobs that involve great responsibility. <br /><br />“It’s the men who have the mental strength. Where are the female doctors in medical disciplines that involve major surgeries? They can only be paediatricians or practitioners of general medicine,” he said.<br /><br />“This insistence on boys and girls sharing bench space in class is a sly assault on Islam,” he said. In October, authorities of Farook College, an autonomous institution run by a Muslim management, had suspended a first-year sociology student for sharing bench with girls.In a response to controversies over journalist V P Rajeena’s allegations on abuse of minors in madrassas, Musaliyar termed them as baseless.<br /> </p>
