No ban on entry of women into mosques for prayer: Muslim Board to SC

The Board said free intermixing of genders in the same line or common space is not permissible in the Islamic context, and thus seeking segregation of spaces

In line with an earlier affidavit, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has filed another affidavit (in the second petition) in the Supreme Court seeking direction for Muslim women’s entry into mosques for offering namaz.

“The Board is consistent with its opinion in terms of Islamic texts that there is no prohibition on Muslim women entering mosques and offering (reading) namaz or congregational prayers,” AIMPLB said in a statement on Wednesday.

Segregation of spaces

The Board said free intermixing of genders in the same line or common space is not permissible in the Islamic context, and thus segregation of spaces within the premises by management (concerned), if possible, is required.

“The Board has also clarified that the example cited by the petitioner in the recent petition of Tawaf in Mecca around the Black stone to build upon the argument of namazis misleading vis-à-vis the offering of namaz. Even in Mecca in all the mosques around the Holy Kaaba, the practice of segregation of men and women is in place,” the statement adds.

The Board has said that depending on the facilities available in the Indian mosques, the management committees are “free to create such segregated spaces for women if the existing building/space permits such arrangements. Apart from this stated position in the affidavit, the Board also appeals to the Muslim community at large that wherever new mosques are constructed, this issue of making appropriate space for women be kept in mind”