Muslim couple seek right for women to enter mosque

A Pune-based Muslim couple has approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to allow women to enter mosques to offer their prayers.

"The act of prohibition of females from entering mosque is void and unconstitutional as such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity of a woman as an individual but also violate the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the Constitution," Yasmeen and Zuber Ahmad Peerzade said in their joint petition.

The couple contended there were no records stating that the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad had opposed women's entry to mosques to offer prayers. Like men, women also have the constitutional rights to offer worship according to their belief, they said.

At present, women are allowed to offer prayers at mosques under Jamaat-e-Islami and Mujahid denominations, while they are barred from mosques under the predominant Sunni faction, they contended.

Some of the mosques where women are allowed, there are separate entrances and enclosures for worship for men and women. There should not be any gender discrimination, they pleaded.

The petitioners sought a direction permitting Islamic women to enter through the main door and have an Islamic right to visual and auditory access to the musalla (main sanctuary) in the mosques.