Haji Ali Verdict: Women rights’ activists rejoice; Muslim Boards to challenge judgement in SC

"High Court should not have interfered but now that they have given a decision against us we will approach Supreme Court", said Haji Rafat, a member of the AIMIM.

Updated: August 26, 2016 6:07 PM IST

By India.com News Desk

Haji Ali Verdict: Women rights' activists rejoice; Muslim Boards to challenge judgement in SC

Mumbai, August 26: A plethora of reactions are coming in from the civic society after the Bombay High Court on Friday allowed the entry of women inside the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali dragah, the struggle for which has been going on for months. While women rights activists are hailing the decision as a huge win for feminism, Muslim Boards across the country are expressing their discontent against what they feel is undue interference with the Sharia law. Muslim leaders are expected to appraoch the Supreme Court to challenge the judgement.

Speaking to ANI, a member of Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Haji Rafat said, “High Court should not have interfered but now that they have given a decision against us we will approach Supreme Court.” Maulana Sajid Rashidi mirrored Rafat’s reaction, saying, “This is very wrong because seems like Court has taken step without knowing about Sharia law.” Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh’s first woman Qazi Hina Zaheer expressed joy at the judgement, saying that it was “a very good and logical judgement”. “When women can go near the holy Kaaba sanctum, then why restrictions at other places?”, she asked. ALSO READ: Haji Ali Dargah: Mumbai High Court allows entry of women in inner sanctum of Dargah

Trupti Desai, head of the Bhumata Brigade, which has been spearheading the fight to lift the ban, said on Friday, “This is an historic decision, we welcome the HC order. This is a big win for women.”  A bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday ruled that women have the right to enter the inner sanctum sanctorum of the dargah. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation of seeking lifting of restricions inposed by the religion which bars women from entering the sanctum which houses the mazaar or tomb of the saint Haji Ali.

It is petinent here to mention that ban was imposed by the Dargah Trust somewhere in between March and June 2012. Ruling against the restrictions, the Court said that they are in contradiction to Articles 14 (Right to Life), 15 (Prohibition of discrimination)and 25 (Right to practice religion) of the Constitution of India.

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