Bombay HC verdict on Haji Ali a 'great satisfaction for women': UP's first woman qazi

Dr Hina Zaheer Naqvi on Friday said Islam gives women equal status and calls for no discrimination with them

Buoyed by the Bombay High Court's verdict that allowed women's entry in the inner sanctum of Haji Ali dargah, Uttar Pradesh's first woman qazi, Dr Hina Zaheer Naqvi on Friday said the verdict came as "a great satisfaction to women", because there was segregation between men and women, which implied that men had an upper hand, even as Islam gives women equal status and calls for no discrimination with them.

"I appreciate the court's verdict and welcome it from the bottom of my heart," she added.

"The verdict came as a great satisfaction to women, because there was segregation between men and women, which implied that men had an upper hand. Islam gives women equal status and there is no discrimination with women. Above all, if women can go to the Khaana-e-Kaaba by following the laid down norms, why cannot at other dargahs, except those which have maintained restrictions since the beginning and never entered in the family life like Makanpur dargah, where there are restrictions since the beginning, a system has developed there, and no woman tries to go there as well," she told ANI.

Hailing the court's verdict, she said, "I will say it is a very good verdict, because it has included a clause that the entry should be given to women according to regulations of a religious place. Earlier, women were allowed to enter the inner sanctum of Haji Ali and then all of sudden taking stand that women would not be allowed, there was no apparent logic behind that, except people were not maintaining order that was creating a problem for the administration."

Stating that the administration should also be happy with the verdict, she added, "It is a very logical and good decision, as there was no logic behind suddenly stopping women from entering the dargah, where they were already going."