Shrine to lift ban on women
COURT GRANTS 4 WEEKS TO MAKE INFRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES
Court grants 4 weeks to make infrastructural changes at Haji Ali Dargah, one of Mumbai’s most recognisable landmarks |
In a landmark victory for women worshippers, a historic shrine in India informed the Supreme Court that it was ready to grant access to the women up to the sanctum sanctorum and sought four weeks’ time to make requisite infrastructural changes.
“Women will be treated at par with men,” the Haji Ali Trust in Mumbai told the Court, scrapping its 2012 order that stated it was a grievous sin to let women enter the sanctum sanctorum.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao, granted time to the Trust.
“An additional affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Dargah trust to the Supreme Court which states that the dargah is willing to allow women inside the shrine,” senior advocate
Haji Ali Dargah is one of Mumbai’s most recognisable landmarks and receives tens of thousands of not only Muslims but Hindu devotees and sightseeing tourists every week. The shrine is located on an islet accessible via a causeway at low tide. It was built in memory of a wealthy Muslim who gave up his worldly possessions and went on a pilgrimage to Makkah.
Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the Trust, told media.
This change in the trust’s stand comes four weeks after it had filed the case and informed the court that it did not want to take an adversarial position on the issue and wanted time to resolve the matter.
“We are happy with the stand of the trust. They have restored the Islamic values of what we have always believed as Muslims,” activist Noorjehan Niaz told Gulf News.
Earlier, the High Court (HC) had allowed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Niaz and another woman activist, Zakia Soman, challenging the ban on women’s entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine from 2012. On October 17, the apex court had extended the stay granted by Bombay High Court to facilitate an appeal against its decision to lift the ban on entry of women.
At that time, the SC had said it hoped the trust, which had challenged the High Court judgement to allow women inside the main area, will take a “stand which is progressive”.
“If you are not allowing both men and women to go beyond a point, there is no problem. But if you are allowing some to go beyond a point while others are not, it is a problem,” the apex court had said.