CPI(M)'s Sreemathy Teacher slams Kanthapuram over remarks on women staying confined to homes

Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and All India Democratic Women's Association activist P K Sreemathy Teacher has criticized prominent Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar over his recent remarks advocating gender segregation and confinement of women to their homes. The criticism comes in the wake of controversial statements made by Kanthapuram during an Islamic conference in Kochi, where he asserted that women's public appearances would lead to social destruction and that Islam mandates purdah (seclusion) for women.

Kanthapuram, speaking at the event in Kochi, claimed that Islam prescribes women to remain within their homes to maintain societal honor and dignity. He cited religious teachings to support his position, stating, "It is precisely recognising that bringing women onto public platforms in this manner causes great destruction that Islam mandated purdah for women. The Holy Quran states that women should live confined within their homes and must not make public appearances." He also defended his position by asserting that such views have been consistently taught by religious leaders in Kerala for the past century.

Sreemathy Teacher responded sharply to these remarks, describing them as misogynistic and harmful. On social media, she shared a video of a young Muslim woman challenging Kanthapuram's statements, highlighting the generational divide in perspectives on gender roles. Without directly naming Kanthapuram, she warned that history would not forgive modern Kerala if such statements were dismissed as mere ramblings of old age. She also shared videos of interfaith students celebrating Onam, emphasizing the changing social dynamics in the state.

The controversy has intensified following a circular issued by the Kanthapuram faction of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, the state's prominent council of Sunni-Shafi Islamic scholars. The circular, co-signed by Samastha president E Sulaiman Musliyar and Kanthapuram, prohibited women from sharing stages with men or appearing in public spaces alongside them. This directive has drawn criticism from several women political leaders across Kerala.

Kanthapuram defended the circular during his speech, stating that it reflects long-standing religious teachings and that scholars have an obligation to uphold these principles despite opposition. He asserted that religious leaders who have studied Islam have a duty to voice these views, declaring, "We will say it and continue to say it. No one can make us stop."

The remarks and the circular have sparked a broader debate in Kerala about religious conservatism, women's rights, and the interpretation of Islamic teachings in contemporary society.

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