Kerala Mufti Kanthapuram Walks Back ‘Women Should Stay Home’ Remark, Insists Islam Does Not ‘Bury’ Women

When the Kerala Grand Mufti, Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, first said that women venturing into the public sphere could cause "great destruction," the comment ignited a firestorm across social media and political corridors. Critics jumped on the statement, accusing the scholar of endorsing a patriarchal view that Islam consigns women to the hearth.

At a press conference held a few days later, the cleric tried to set the record straight. He told reporters that it is "unfair to suggest Islam places women in a subordinate position" and that the religion, in his view, does not prescribe women’s burial—figuratively speaking—in the sense of keeping them hidden or voiceless.

"Holy Islam is not a religion that buries women," Musliyar said, pausing as if to let the words sink in. "None of us would say women should be buried." The phrasing, though a bit clunky, was meant to signal that he rejects any notion of systematic suppression.

He also pointed to a slew of schools and madrasas that his organizations run for girls across Kerala and other states. "In many parts of India, I have created separate institutions for male and female students and have been providing all necessities for free," he explained, hoping the facts would speak louder than the earlier remarks.

Nevertheless, the backlash lingered. Kerala’s Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan publicly rebuked the original comment, saying that women should not be forced to stay at home. Other Muslim leaders were split: some defended the Mufti, arguing that his concerns stemmed from a literal reading of certain religious texts, while others called for a more progressive interpretation that embraces women’s participation in public life.

To illustrate his original point, Musliyar had used an anecdote about a gold necklace in an Ernakulam jewellery shop. He argued that if a delicate necklace were left on a busy road, it would be trampled and lose its luster—just as he claimed a society that lets women roam freely might, in his view, suffer moral decay.

He even quoted a Quranic verse, paraphrasing it to say, "Women should remain confined within their homes. They should not enter the public sphere. The Holy Quran says so." Critics quickly flagged the misinterpretation, noting that the Quranic discourse on gender is far more nuanced.

In the end, the Mufti’s attempt at clarification did little to quell the debate. The episode has sparked renewed discussions across India about how religious teachings intersect with modern ideas of gender equality, and whether clerics should adapt their language to a rapidly changing social landscape.

What remains clear is that the conversation about women’s role in public life is far from settled, and every statement—whether intentional or not—gets dissected under the unforgiving glare of today’s media.