Bhopal, March 17 (IANS) Muslim women have reacted angrily to a leading Muslim cleric's advice to keep away from politics and concentrate on home and family, saying this could be his personal view and there is no such stipulation in Islam.

Even as the debate over the women's reservation bill continues, Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawwad had said Saturday that women should have no role in politics and stay at home. 

"They should become mothers of good leaders rather than try to be leaders themselves," he reportedly said. Also, the Lucknow-based Nadwatul Ulema had also issued a "fatwa" (edict) against Muslim women's participation in politics, in line with the 2005 fatwa of the influential Darul Uloom Deoband, which contends that Muslim women cannot remain in purdah when in politics. 

However, the advice has not been taken well by Muslim women here who not only described them as "personal views" and also disagreed that it could be a fatwa as Islam does not prohibit women from being leaders and a fatwa can only be issued in reply to religious queries. 

"Who is he to advise us on what to do and what not to do? It is a conspiracy of vested interests to keep women within the four walls of a house under the garb of Islam's strictures despite our religion giving equal status to men and women," social activist Shahala Masood told IANS. 

Her views were supported by "Shahar Qazi" (city religious judge) Abdul Lateef Qasmi. "Islam does not prohibit women from being leaders but if some one has issued any fatwa, it needs to be checked under what circumstances it was delivered," he said. 

Masood's stand has more adherents. 

"The views expressed by ulema could be their personal thoughts as no one had sought their opinion. I am of the view that more and more women from the community should come forward and contest elections as Islam does not put any bar on it," Samajwadi Party member Nazma Parveen told IANS. 

"Everyone has the liberty to express views, and the statement of the Maulana could be his personal view, because as far as my knowledge is concerned, Islam does not prohibit women from entering politics," Congress state unit women cell general secretary Noori Khan said. 

Madhya Pradesh Urdu Academy secretary Nusrat Mehndi contended women should prepare themselves for a double responsibility "looking after domestic activities and performing well in professional life as well, be it politics or job," she said. 

"No religion including Islam prohibits anyone from serving the people and in the present time, entering politics is the best way to serve the people. Women can also serve the people and Islalm does not stop them from doing so," Shamim Nasir, a corporator, said. 

Now, sexual minority groups seek reservation

With the women's reservation bill getting through the Rajya Sabha hurdle, sexual minority groups in Kolkata are now seeking a similar quota for themselves as well as reservation in other fields such as health, education and employment. Sexual minority groups comprise gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals.

"We also want reservation in parliament and legislative assemblies. As we are transgenders we are deprived of our basic rights and are ill-treated by society. So if there is reservation for our community in parliament, we can raise our issues in the temple of the Indian constitution," Sujoy Debnath alias Suzane, a transgender, told IANS. 

Biswanath Nandi, another transgender from Shyambazar, echoes Sujoy. 

He says whenever they go to hospitals, the officers are in a dilemma whether to admit them in the male or female ward. 

"We want reservation in parliament and legislative assemblies. It will be of great help to us in achieving our basic rights. Apart from parliament and legislative assembies, we also want reservations in healthcare, education and jobs so that we can also live a decent life," says Nandi. 

"We feel prostitutes and transgenders need reservation. We are the most neglected lot," said Rekha, a sex worker. 

However, there is a divided view on providing reservations for members of the sexual minority groups. 

Manas Bangla, an organisation keeping track of different sexual minority welfare organisations, says that transgenders deserve reservation as they come from poor economic background. 

"In my personal view I do feel that transgenders, gays, lesbians should be brought under the reservation system. The transgenders need it as most of them come from a very poor economic background," says Sanjib Chakroborty, a Manas Bangla official and a gay. 

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee leader Mohammed Salim told IANS: "They can contest from general seats." 

Kunal Choudhury, a gay and an activist working for the rights of sexual minority groups, said: "We do have this reservation issue in our minds but before that we need to secure the basic rights for sexual minority groups and increase awareness regarding these groups." 

Faiyaz Ahmed Khan, member of the mayor-in-council, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, said: "They are always welcome to contest elections as they are part and parcel of society. They can contest elections for general seats only." 

The women's reservation bill, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha, seeks to reserve 33 percent seats in parliament and state legislatures for women. The bill has still to be tabled in the Lok Sabha.