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Kanthapuram Urges Restraint Amid Controversy Over Remarks on Women
Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar faced criticism for comments about women.
Some people understood his remarks as saying women should stay inside their homes.
He later said he does not believe women should be buried or confined.
He pointed to schools and madrassas created to educate girls.
He also said some institutions care for orphaned girls.
Kanthapuram asked his followers not to react angrily to the controversy.
He said discussions should help people examine ideas and learn.
V D Satheesan criticized the remarks, while organisations linked to Kanthapuram demanded an apology.
Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar urged followers not to be provoked into controversies or divisions.
He said spiritual discussions should offer healthy platforms to assess ideas objectively and learn new things.
Kanthapuram denied supporting the burial or confinement of women and highlighted institutions providing education to girls.
His earlier remarks that women should remain confined to their homes drew widespread criticism.
V D Satheesan called the reported view outdated, while Sunni organisations sought an apology from him.
- Who
- Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, his followers, V D Satheesan and organisations associated with Kanthapuram’s Sunni group.
- What
- Kanthapuram urged restraint amid criticism of remarks interpreted as advocating that women remain confined to their homes, while clarifying his position.
- Where
- The clarification was made at a programme in Thrissur, and the Facebook appeal was reported from Kozhikode, Kerala.
- When
- The appeal was posted on Friday, September 4, one day after Kanthapuram’s clarification on Thursday.
- Why
- He said people should not let spiritual discussions be diverted into controversies and divisions or allow efforts to undermine the pursuit of knowledge.
Critics of the remarks
Kanthapuram and supporters
Women’s place in society
Critics of the remarks
Critics said the remarks suggested that women should remain confined to their homes. V D Satheesan described this as an outdated 19th-century view.
Kanthapuram and supporters
Kanthapuram said it was incorrect to claim that women had been given second place and denied supporting the burial or confinement of women.
Response to the controversy
Critics of the remarks
Various sections of society criticized the remarks, including V D Satheesan.
Kanthapuram and supporters
Kanthapuram urged followers not to be emotionally provoked, while organisations linked to his Sunni group demanded an apology from Satheesan.
Role of spiritual discussions
Critics of the remarks
Critics treated the comments as contributing to divisions and concerns about women’s status.
Kanthapuram and supporters
Kanthapuram said discussions should objectively assess ideas and promote learning, warning against vested interests that divert spiritual discussions into controversy.
Key facts
- Central controversy
- Kanthapuram faced criticism over alleged remarks that women should remain confined to their homes.
- Kanthapuram’s clarification
- He said he was not among those who advocated that women be buried or confined.
- Education initiatives
- He said madrassas and schools exclusively for girls had been established to provide education and care for orphaned girls.
- Appeal to followers
- He urged followers to respond to provocation with maturity, wisdom, discipline and restraint.
- Criticism
- V D Satheesan said the reported view was a 19th-century perspective with no place in progressive Kerala.
- Organisational response
- Organisations associated with Kanthapuram’s Sunni group sought an apology from V D Satheesan.
Quotes
Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar
Islamic scholar and veteran Sunni leader
“We must clearly identify the vested interests of those who deliberately try to divert such spiritual discussions towards controversies and divisions”
theprint.in
“It is not correct to say that women have been given second place. We are not people who say women should be buried. Everyone should understand this”
theprint.in
Sources
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