[News] Indian women build own mosque

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Indian women build own mosque

Thursday 18 December 2003 11:25 AM GMT

A group of Muslim women in an Indian village, fed up with what they say are 
sexist decisions made by the male authorities particularly in divorce 
cases, have decided to build their own mosque.

The women in the village of Parambu in the southern state of Tamil Nadu 
have formed a group called Chaaya (Shadow) and acquired land to build the 
mosque, reported the Hindustan Times daily on Thursday.

"This decision was taken after we found male-dominated jamaats (dispute 
settlement forums) handing down discriminatory verdicts in family disputes, 
especially in divorce matters," said Sherifa, the convenor of Chaaya, who 
uses just one name.

"When a man seeks divorce, only his case is heard by the jamaat. The wife 
is never called for a hearing, saying that women are not permitted inside 
mosques, where the jamaat usually sits," she said.

A woman priest well-versed in the Quran and Islamic tenets is to take 
charge at the new mosque.

Every right

"A survey conducted by us showed that in one out of every five Muslim 
households, there is at least one case of desertion by the husband or 
second marriage by the man, citing some mental or physical disability of 
the first wife," said Rasheeda, another villager.

"And when these matters were taken to the police station, they asked us to 
settle (them) with the jamaat, which are controlled by men," she said.

Opinion is divided on whether the women are right to build their own 
mosque, reported the newspaper.

Muhammad Sikander, secretary of a jamaat in Tamil Nadu state's capital 
Madras, said: "Jamaats have been asked to settle disputes outside mosques 
so that they can hear the women's side."

All India Muslim Personnel Law Board vice-chairman Maulana Kalbe Sadiq said 
the women had every right to construct a mosque.


You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/45BD1B0F-6366-4F42-92AA-3CAAC13C51C7.htm 



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