IUML says Kanthapuram’s controversial remarks on women ‘scholarly expression’; CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan questions stand
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has defended controversial remarks made by scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar regarding women in public life, labeling them a 'scholarly expression'. Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan has publicly criticized the stance, sparking a debate on gender roles and religious interpretation.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing friction between traditional religious interpretations and modern social values within Indian political discourse.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the ruling Congress in Keralam, on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) justified senior Sunni Muslim scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar’s controversial remarks on women , describing them as a “scholarly expression”, while senior CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan criticised the view that women should be kept away from public life.
The controversy began after Kanthapuram, speaking at an Islamic conference in Kochi on Sunday, said bringing women onto public platforms would lead to “great destruction” and that Islam prescribed purdah for women to prevent this.
Responding to questions from reporters about Musliyar’s remarks, IUML State president Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said he had nothing more to say on the matter. “It was a scholarly expression. Beyond that, I have nothing more to say on the matter. They are scholars. I am not going to comment on that,” he said.
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