INFILTRATE, OVERWHELM AND THEN DEVOUR

Darul Uloom (House of Knowledge) fatwa on allowing women to canvass for votes only behind the veil is but another step backward for women and a reinforcing step forward for Islamic fundamentalists to preserve the political power they exercise in society, a cornerstone of which has always been power over women. The 33% reserved seats for women is seen by these fundamentalist as an immediate threat to the political power that they have held sway over the decades. This is a complete turnaround of what was clearly expressed by Marghoob Ur-Rehman, vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom immediately after the 9/11 incident "At Darul Uloom we do not preach that women should be forced to cover themselves; we recommend it for their own protection and comfort,” he says. “Nor do we see television as inherently un-Islamic. We simply dispute its content.”
Unfortunately, there are many Muslim women who will continue to ensure that these elitist fundamentalist remain entrench in their seats of power by abiding to the fatwa of wearing a veil while canvassing for votes.
Darul Uloom is the world's second largest center of Islamic study, the largest being Cairo's al-Azhar university. Various fatwas have been passed by this group and has shown the tendency of being political and militant in nature. When the US declared war on the Talibans Darul-Uloom issued a fatwa against Muslims using Western products and declared "the Taliban brought peace to Afghanistan and took the correct steps to protect Islam that is under assault by Christians and Jews," In an earlier fatwa, Darul Uloom's scholars suggest that Jews were responsible for the outrages of September 11. This June, a fatwa was issued on a rape case where a woman allegedly raped by her father-in law must separate from her husband.
Today Darul Uloom students from Malaysia may now very well occupy places of influences and they will unveil their brand of political Islam.

Seek vote, but be behind the veil
Link : Times of India

MUZAFFARNAGAR: In yet another controversial fatwa evoking sharp reactions from the political parties, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom has ruled that Muslim women should not contest elections, and if they do, they must do it under veil.

“Muslim women are not allowed to appear before men without a veil and under the Islamic law only “pardanashin’’ women are allowed to contest elections,’’ the Darool Uloom of Deoband said in an edict issued on Tuesday.

Various political parties have reacted sharply to the edict with Congress leader and Law minister H R Bharadwaj saying that the edicts coming from the religious groups have no significance under the Constitution and it is up to the people whether they want to abide by them or not.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury condemned the edict by saying the Constitution has given women equal rights as their male counterparts and we will not let this right be infringed.

Calling the edict wrong, BJP vice president Venkaiah Naidu said that women should get equal rights in every sphere. When the world is progressing, this kind of edict is wrong.

The fatwa has come at a time when hundreds of Muslim women are contesting panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh and 33% seats have been reserved for women in the local bodies.