Islam against Gender Equality – Islamic Scholar Kanthapuram

“demand for gender equality was targeted at destroying Islam and its culture.”

Kerala’s self appointed spokespersons for Islam have seemingly denied any kind of gender equality, refering to the matter as a move to destroy Islamic culture. Eminent Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliyar, known for his misogynist remarks, has refered to gender equality as “impractical”, making a reference to women as knowing “only to deliver babies” and stating that “demand for gender equality was targeted at destroying Islam and its culture.”

Addressing a Sunni students’ camp in Kozhikode, the orthodox Sunni leader said, “It is not going to happen. Women know only to deliver babies. The world is controlled by men. Women doctors don’t even have the courage to perform major surgeries,” he said.

This is not the first time that Kanthapuram has made sexist statements. Earlier he had made reference to men as having the “right to lord over women.” According to Kanthapuram, “women should have no interactions with ‘other’ men nor work alone with them. Women should be accompanied by father, brother or husband on their travels, or be in the company of women only. They need to make trips only for religious purposes. Education is imparted women because the times demand it, which will have no effect on religious laws binding on women.”

Known for his endorsement of polygamy as “being permissible to protect them (women), Kanthapuram voiced support for any “collective move to oppose lowering of marriageable age.”