The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) took suo motu notice of media reports on Thursday regarding the prohibition on women entering the Jama Masjid in Delhi without male companions.
Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the imam of Jama Masjid Shahi, received notice from the women’s commission.
The Jama Masjid in Delhi reportedly features a sign at the entrance that reads, “Jama Masjid me Ladki ya Ladkiyon ka akele dakhla mana hai.” In a press release on Thursday, the board stated that women and girls who are not with male companions are not allowed to enter the mosque.
The Delhi Commission of Women suggested lifting the restriction. By November 28, 2022, the commission requested justifications for forbidding women and girls from entering Jama Masjid without male companions.
Women have long gone to Delhi’s historic Jama Masjid to engage in religious observances there without being subjected to any restrictions.
A place of worship should be accessible to everyone, regardless of gender, and prohibiting women from freely entering and practising their religion in the mosque is both highly discriminatory and extremely backwards, according to the DCW.
“Such an order is clearly misogynistic and against the ethos of the Constitution of India,” stated the press release.
The following information was requested by the commission until November 28, 2022: justifications for forbidding women and girls from entering Jama Masjid “without male partners;” Information on the person in charge of limiting entrance for women and girls Please supply a copy of the meeting minutes if the decision was made during a meeting; the authorities’ current efforts to lift the restriction placed on women and girls’ access; and action on the issue is reported in detail.
Jama Masjid announced earlier on Thursday that women would no longer be permitted to enter the mosque unaccompanied by men.