'Not 19th century': Kerala CM slams cleric over 'women should stay home' remark
Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan has publicly criticized a Sunni cleric for suggesting that women should remain confined to domestic life. The CM and other state officials emphasized that such views are regressive and contradict both constitutional rights and modern societal values in Kerala.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between traditional religious leadership and secular governance regarding women's rights and public participation in India.
NEW DELHI: Kerala chief minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday rejected Sunni cleric and Grand Mufti of India Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar’s call for restrictions on women’s participation in public life. He said women must join the mainstream, asserting that such views have no place in a developing Kerala.Speaking to reporters, Satheesan said the state government did not agree with Aboobacker’s position that women should remain at home, adding that even Islam did not require women to be confined to domestic life."We don't agree with his statement that women should stay home. It's not a suitable stand in our developing Keralam. It's not the 19th century that one should make such statements. Even Islam doesn't say that. Women should not stay home, but join the mainstream.
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