Bucking coalition constraints, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday adopted a progressive stand on Muslim women’s freedom, openly rejecting the controversial position taken by influential cleric Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar. The move goes directly against ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)’s stance on the issue.Referring to women’s participation in last week’s Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, Musliyar, popularly known as Kanthapuram, had warned against women mingling with men in public places.Advertisement“Exhibiting young women in public places and among unrelated men is un-Islamic, and such celebrations cannot be allowed,” he said in a written directive issued to the community. Even as the directive created a furore in Kerala, Kanthapuram said: “Women should live confined to their homes, and what the Quran teaches is that women should remain quietly confined to their homes. If women enter the public arena, there will be great destruction.”His comments evoked mixed reactions from political parties, while various community leaders and scholars — including those organisationally opposed to the orthodox cleric — backed his position. Congress ally IUML, which often acts as a buffer against orthodox elements within the community, also adopted a stand supporting Kanthapuram. Satheesan’s rebuttal came close on the heels of the IUML’s endorsement of the cleric.Must Read | Why BJP is opposing Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s promise to Dalit ChristiansSatheesan said the stance was “not suitable for progressive Kerala”.Advertisement“Neither Congress nor the government can agree to that stand. Such a thing should be stated in the 19th century, not in this 21st century. Women should live in mainstream society, taking part in all activities. We have a progressive stand on this. Kanthapuram quotes the Quran saying that women should remain confined to their homes and there would be disaster if they come to public space,’’ he said.The Quran was being misinterpreted, he said.“Prophet Mohammed’s first wife Khadija had been a businesswoman. Another wife, Aisha, had led the troops. Another woman named in Islamic history, Bilkis, had been a queen. In the royal assembly of Caliph Umar, it was a woman who had questioned the decision to reduce the Mahr amount,” he said.Satheesan rejected Kanthapuram’s stand a day after IUML state chief and influential religious leader Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal justified the cleric, who is known to be close to the CPI(M).Thangal told the media that the cleric “might have meant women’s safety”.Also Read | Left vs Left in Kerala: Why CPI is pushing back against CPM“What is more important is the unity of the community as well as the society. The IUML stand is to remain close to that. Kanthapuram had stated so as a religious leader. The restrictions could be for the benefit of women. In modern society, women are the most targeted. He might have that scenario in his mind,” he said.While Muslim scholars across organisational lines stood behind Kanthapuram’s anti-women stand, social media accounts of several Muslim women criticised the clerics’ position. During last month’s Onam celebrations at educational institutions and offices, Muslim women had actively participated, wearing traditional Kerala attire. Videos of Muslim women dancing during the festivities went viral on social media, with many observing that they had stolen the show at this year’s Onam celebrations.Women’s empowerment in Kerala in recent decades has been marked by a growing presence of Muslim women in public life. After 50 per cent reservation for women was introduced in Kerala’s three-tier local bodies, scores of Muslim women contested and won elections, sharing official spaces and public posts with men.you may likeThe IUML, the leading political party among Kerala’s Muslim community, also moved to capitalise on the reservation, fielding Muslim women in several seats and helping ensure their victories. Despite frequent warnings from conservative clerics against women entering the public arena, Muslim women’s presence in the state’s social and political sphere has continued to grow.In the recent Assembly elections, the IUML fielded Fathima Thahilya, a young woman who had campaigned for gender parity within the party. Despite strong criticism from clerics over her candidature in CPI(M)-stronghold Perambra in Kozhikode, Fathima won the seat, defeating T P Ramakrishnan, senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convener. She is the first woman legislator of the IUML in Kerala.Her candidature had not gone down well with conservative Muslim elements, including a section of Samastha, which is known for its pro-IUML political stance. Last year, a senior Samastha cleric had publicly criticised a Class 10 girl student who went on stage to receive an award.