Asghar Ali Engineer: Ghettoisation of minorities

ANUPAMA KATAKAM's Interview in Frontline

Shabana Azmi made a very valid point. It is true that Muslims cannot find housing in Mumbai. We all know of cases where they have been denied accommodation due to the small-mindedness of the building society. Actor Naseeruddin Shah came on television and rubbished Shabana’s statement. But it is he who is absolutely wrong. This is a huge problem the community is facing.

The Supreme Court made a very unfortunate decision by allowing caste-based housing societies to exist. Under this loophole they keep out minority communities.

Look at Singapore. It is against the law to have a building that houses people of just one community, language or religion. If a building has to be registered, the state checks the profile of buyers and keeps an eye on whom it is rented to. That is how we must now work.

Politics and Minority: Asghar Ali Engineer: Ghettoisation of minorities, Sphere: Related Content

Women pray along with men at Lucknow mosque for the first time

Submitted by Tarique Anwar on 2 September 2008 - 5:37pm. 

• Indian Muslim

By IANS,

Lucknow : This Uttar Pradesh capital for the first time is witnessing Muslim women offering prayers along with men at a Sunni mosque.

The move to hold prayers jointly comes after the initiative of the All India Women's Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) members, a board official said. Read more

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Nikah solemnized by woman in Lucknow

The nikah of Naish and Imran, which was solemnized by a woman qazi, has created much controversy and debate among the Islamic clergy in Lucknow.

At their wedding here Tuesday night, the qazi's task was performed by Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, who is a member of the Planning Commission of India.

Naish Hasan, 34, is a postgraduate in economics and women rights activist running her own NGO, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, which had recently brought out its own draft of nikahnama.

Its version of nikahnama was in sharp deviation from the traditional one but it was claimed to be in the larger interest of Muslim women and had no room for separation by triple utterance of the word talaq.

Read it all here

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