DCW chief issues notice to Imam after Jama Masjid bars entry of women who come ‘alone’

Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday issued notice to the Imam of Jama Masjid after the mosque barred the entry of women “who come alone” to the Muslim place of worship. As the diktat sparked a row online, the mosque management clarified that the ban did not apply to women who are accompanied by their partners or families.

Calling the decision “wrong”, Maliwal said that the all genders have the right to worship. “The decision to stop the entry of women in Jama Masjid is absolutely wrong. A woman has as much right to worship as a man. I am issuing notice to the Imam of Jama Masjid. No one has the right to ban the entry of women like this,” Maliwal wrote in a tweet in Hindi.

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On Thursday, Jama Masjid Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sabiullah Khan, however, said that there is no restriction on the entry of women. “The restriction is for women who come here alone, give time to men, do wrong things, make videos,” he said, as quoted by The Indian Express.

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He further clarified that only women who are accompanied by their husbands or families will be allowed in the famous historic Delhi mosque.