New Delhi: Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, has issued a notice to the Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid over the mosque’s rule of no entry to ‘girls’ coming alone, which seems to have sparked outrage, ANI reported.
Taking to Twitter, Swati Maliwal said, “The decision to stop the entry of women in Jama Masjid is absolutely wrong. As much as a man has the right to worship, so also a woman. I am issuing notice to the Imam of Jama Masjid. No one has the right to ban the entry of women like this”.
Jama Masjid public relations officer Sabiullah Khan said that the entry of women is not banned but girls cannot come alone, adding that this has been done to prevent the mosque premises from becoming a “meeting point” for the girls who “give time to boys, shoot TikTok videos and dance”.
“There is no restriction on coming with families, or on married couples. But coming here to meet someone, making it a meeting point, thinking of it as a park, making TikTok videos, dancing etc., is not acceptable for any religious place be it a mosque or a temple or a gurdwara,” Khan was quoted as saying.
The reason for our restriction is that the mosque is for prayers and should be used for that only, he added.
#WATCH| Delhi|Women’s entry not banned. When women come alone-improper acts done, videos shot,ban is to stop this. No restrictions on families/married couples.Making it a meeting point inapt for religious places:Sabiullah Khan,Jama Masjid PRO on entry of women coming alone banned pic.twitter.com/HiOebKaiGr
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2022
