Debate rages over barring women in dargah sanctum

MUMBAI: The move banning women from entering the astana (sanctum sanctorum , where a saint is buried) by some leading dargahs has sparked off a huge debate with liberals and conservatives in the community taking opposite sides. On Monday, TOI reported that several leading Sufi shrines in Mumbai had either banned women from going close to the sanctum sanctorum or were "sensitizing" women devotees about the future ban.

The opinion is divided and many suggest that the trustees of dargahs should fix separate timings for men and women visitors at the shrines. "The ban on women's entry to the sanctum sanctorum reeks of deep bias against women and the community must see it as creeping Talibanization in India," said Farid Batatawala of Muslim Forum. Batatawala added that he was a follower of Sufism and visits famous dargahs across the country regularly where women are not banned, but is pained by the decision of leading dargahs like Haji Ali and Makhdoom Shah Baba of Mahim to ban women's entry.

The Deobandis have welcomed the decision and say that the Shariat (Islamic laws) mandates it. "Dargahs are basically structures around graves of Sufi saints and if entry of women to normal graveyards is banned, why it should not be banned at dargahs?" asked Mumbai resident Tabrez Shaikh.

Shaikh added that any practice that is not allowed by the Shariat must be abandoned . However, Maulana Bunai Noim Hasani, general secretary of the All India Ulema Board, said there is a tradition that says Hazrat Fatima Zahra, daughter of the Prophet, visited the Prophet's uncle Hazrat Hamza's grave a couple of times.

"If the Prophet's daughter could visit a grave, why can't ordinary women visit graves of Sufis?" asked Hasani . He also questioned why the dargahs didn't do it in the past as these shrines have existed for centuries.

"If there is fear of ikhtelaat (mixing of sexes) at the dargahs, the trustees can find a solution and allow women devotees at a fixed time. Extreme position will only help those who have launched a smear campaign against Islam," said Bandra resident Zafar Sareshwalla.

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