Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has issued a fatwa against the appointment of Muslim women as receptionists, calling it illegal and against Sharia law. The fatwa was issued after a query on November 29 from a Pakistan-based company, asking if it could appoint a Muslim woman as a receptionist.
Buildings were decorated with colourful lights and earthen lamps dotted houses as people across the country thronged temples and celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday.
An archaic and medieval practice has finally been confined to the dustbin of history!Modi tweets.
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board has, in its opposition to the move, submitted an affidavit to the apex court stating that though triple talaq is "undesirable", it is "permissible" in Islam.
'You cannot suppress a section of society permanently.' 'The spark of revolt will catch fire sooner or later.'
'I don't know what people will say, but as a liberal Muslim, I can say that I had no problems with the viewpoint of the film. Because we are not maligning any community, if we were I wouldn't have done this film...'
The Assam assembly on Thursday passed a bill to ban polygamy, making it an offence which may lead to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment, barring some exceptions.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti defends a cricketer who displayed the Palestine flag on his helmet, criticizing restrictions on freedom of expression in Jammu and Kashmir and accusing the BJP of imposing Hindutva ideology.
'When I read the Tamil translation of the Quran, I discovered that all these practices had no sanction at all in the Quran. I increasingly came to realise the magnitude of the problems faced by many Muslim women, the need to address these, and also the fact that many Muslim men were wrongly interpreting Islam in a very patriarchal manner to justify the subordination and oppression of Muslim women,' says Daud Sharifa Khanum
'They wanted the city to be a great business hub. They didn't like the fact that taxes collected in Bombay would go outside the city.'
Aseem Chhabra ranks the Best of 2025's films that released in theatres, or went directly to OTT platforms.
The Great Shamsuddin Family is a seemingly light chamber piece that hides its claws of social commentary under the chirpy banter of an apartment full of women, observes Deepa Gahlot.
'Now there is no fight between us (Thackerays); now the fight is with them.'
The SC is dealing with legal and constitutional issues relating to discrimination against women in various religions and at religious places including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.
Have Muslim women taken to the BJP under Modi even while their menfolk cling to 'secular' politics, asks Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Protests continue in Kolkata against attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari threatens a large-scale protest if the attacks are not stopped.
The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday accused police personnel of deterring some people from casting votes in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are underway, while the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the faces of some burqa-clad women voters are not matching with their IDs.
She said, 'women covering their heads, women dressing modestly, I have no problem with at all. I think, however, that if you get to a stage where a woman is not able to express her personality because you cannot see her face, then you do start to have to ask whether this is something that is actually acknowledging the woman's right to be a person in her own right.'
A Pakistani Hindu woman and her minor daughter have been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province, sparking fear of forced conversion.
Bharatiya Janata Party National general secretary Tarun Chugh said on Sunday that the BJP government does not work for the people by asking their religion and added that they are fulfilling the message of Prophet Muhammad by empowering Muslim women.
Activists of the Muslim Mahila Andolan, who converged from different parts of the state in Lucknow on Sunday, also demanded "immediate ban" on the malpractice of divorce by sheer tripe utterance of the word 'Talaaq' on which a debate is already been going on in certain parts of the country.
This election is a thank you note to Nitish Babu from a grateful Bihari people, notes Sheela Bhatt.
The Tigers refused to forgive Douglas Devananda and tried to assassinate him repeatedly. He later said: "(LTTE chief Velupillai) Prabhakaran cannot kill me." Destiny proved him right.
Zakia Nizami Soman, one of the founder members of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, speaks of her organisation and and reflects on the daunting challenges facing Muslim women in India today.
Overruling a nearly five-decade judgment, the Kerala high court has restored the rights of Muslim women for divorce without resorting to judicial proceedings.
If the newly-formed All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board would have its way, a Muslim would be entitled to seek divorce if her husband was found ton be having illicit relationship with another women. Divorce could also be sought by a Muslim woman if the husband forces the wife to indulge in unnatural sex. She could also seek 'talaq' (divorce) if the husband contracts AIDS. The new nikahnama adds that a husband is expected to provide 'cooked food' and 'stitched food'.
Many persons were up in arms following a fatwa by the Dar ul-Uloom Deoband, which many believed prevented Muslim women from working. The members of the seminary who issued the fatwa say that it has been misinterpreted and it was aimed at offering protection to working women from the Muslim community.
'In times of adversity, families unite, but the reverse is happening in the Lalu family.'
The Chinese military has began recruiting Uygur Muslim women for its navy in what appears to be first such experiment to open up its ranks for minorities, especially from volatile Xinjiang province where Islamic militants are fighting a separatist movement.
Justice S N Srivastava held that the Hindu law provides for alimony in such cases and Muslim women are also entitled to it under the Constitution.
'Male domination is not coming down but women have started standing up and questioning the authority of men.' 'I was attacked in such a crude manner only because I am a woman. Had this been written by a man, he would not have been attacked like this.' 'If at all the fascists are using this as a stick to attack Islam, it is not because of my post but because of the intolerance of those who abused me in foul language.' V P Rajeena, who created an online stir by claiming that a madrassa teacher had sexually abused her, says what she wrote on her Facebook page is just a sample, more will follow.
A BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh has sparked controversy by suggesting that Muslim men cover themselves with tarpaulins to avoid being sprinkled with colors on Holi. The remarks, made by Raghuraj Singh, come days after a police officer in Sambhal made similar comments. The festival of Holi coincides with the second Friday of the month of Ramzan this year, leading to concerns about potential clashes. The controversy has fueled tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities in the state, highlighting the sensitive nature of religious festivals in India.
The decision, they said, has given new hope to Muslim women.
Directing officials to prepare a plan for taking views of Muslim women, the CM asked minister of the department and all women ministers in his cabinet 'to talk to women organisations'.
Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 may be a comedy filled with chaos, but in its indirect way, it speaks about a time when the Constitution mattered more than one's religion and when the idea of India was larger than personal hate, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'A majority of filmmakers cannot truly understand the city because they don't live here,' says Anusha Rizvi, Director, The Great Shamsuddin Family.
The Muslim Rashtriya Manch has decided to organise at least 50 meetings with minority community members in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls next year.
'For the women of a community whose seclusion has been a byword of their lifestyle to take to the streets as a means of protest is an unprecedented event,' notes Amulya Ganguli.
Days after a leading Islamic seminary declared that the practice of women working in offices in proximity with men was un-Islamic, another seminary has issued a fatwa stating that Muslim women can work in offices, but with a veil on. Mufti of Darul Iftah of Bareilvi Sharif Mohd Ayyub Alem Rizvi has issued the fatwa that Muslim women can work in professional institutions after wearing the veil but with some conditions. However, the conditions were not known.
'Such a remark does not behove the Prime Minister. Also, you have brought the country's youth to this point. There are no jobs. The only option is to fix punctures or sell fritters. Muslims don't just make punctures. I can list what Muslims have made'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances