While Haji Ali Still Bans Women, Famous Lucknow Mosque Invites 500 Women To Eid Namaz

Amidst raging controversy over rights of women to enter places of worship, main Eidgah Aishbagh in Lucknow, for the first time, had a dedicated section for women at the Eid-ul-Fitr namaz held on Thursday morning.

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The move comes at a time when instances of women being denied entry to Haji Ali Durgah and sanctum sanctorum at Shani temple in Maharashtra have made headlines with women organisations demanding equal rights on access to places of worship at par with their male counterparts.

The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) has petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking a ruling that bans restrictions on women visiting Haji Ali Durgah in Mumbai, with the hope that a favorable ruling from the court would mark a major step forward for women's rights in India.

"This is the first time a separate enclosure exclusively for women namazis is being put in place for the EId-ul-Fitr namaz in Taiyab Hall of Eidgah," said Eidgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli.

"We are making special arrangements so that they (women devout) are not forced to jostle through the crowd to reach to the enclosure," he said. As such, arrangements are being made for the first time and the enclosure will be big enough to accommodate 500 women. "If we find the turnout of women larger than our estimate, we will make arrangements accordingly in future too," he said.

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Decision of the clerics at Eidgah has been hailed by women activists who described the development as "better late than never".

The chief of All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) Shaista Amber said: "Such decisions will only help women come out in large numbers and offer prayers during Eid. It will give our sisters an opportunity to attend the 'Khutba' (sermon) which is a very important part of Eid prayers," said Amber. The AIMPWPLB chief said such practices should be followed during other religious congregations as well.

Also Read: Jaipur's Jama Masjid Has Allowed Women To Offer 'Individual Namaz'

Prominent Shia cleric Maulana Tasoof Abbas too has welcomed the move saying that Islam does not discriminate between men and women. "They have equal rights which should be respected by all," he said, adding: "This is the right step in the right direction and we should all come forward to encourage such practices which are within the precinct of the Sharia."

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Edah Imam Khalid Rasheed, however, claimed that women have been attending namaz at Eidgah but in a very small number. "This time, however, we have special arrangements for them and this will encourage more women to attend such functions in the days to come," he said and added there was no restriction on women offering namaz with men while performing the sacred Haj, so how can anyone put restrictions on women offering prayers elsewhere. "I have been to many countries where women offer prayers at masjids in separate enclosures to maintain sanctity of hijab and purdah," he said.