Bareli: All the Muslim scholars and intellectuals strongly condemned the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Muslim women’s hajj without ‘mahram’. It must be noted that in Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Muslim women, highlighting his government’s attempt at facilitating women’s travel for Haj pilgrimage without a male companion. “For decades, injustice was being done to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it. Even in many Islamic countries this practice does not exist,” the PM said. “Our Ministry of Minority Affairs issued corrective measures and we eased this restriction by phasing out a tradition that had been in practice for the past 70 years,” Mr. Modi pointed out.
Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, Patron Raza Hajj Seva Samithi and secretary and social worker Haji Nazim Baig organised a meeting to ponder over the issue.
In a joint statement Maulana Shahabuddin and Haji Nazim Baig warned the central government and Hajj Committee that as per shariah laws women are permitted to go for Hajj along with their ‘mahram’ and travelling without ‘mahram’ is prohibited. Hajj Committee needs to understand shariah laws deeply.
They further said neither Hajj committee nor Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an idea, what an unholy mess the gathering of women without mahram will create at the Holy site of Makkah.
Nazim Baig advised the women who are supporting the decision of Hajj Committee and central government, to study the Islamic laws with sincerity before going to Hajj. He said prime minister made the statement on ‘Mann ki baat’ to gather praise from Muslim women on a purely sharia issue.
He told that the women would not get the reward of Hajj if they perform it without following shariah laws.