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Written by: Fatima Chand

Category: ARTICLES

Published: 26 October 2015

Islam upholds women precious, like diamond to be taken care of and protected. Allah (S.W.T) has prescribed purdah for women to screen themselves from men. One can find various ayats in the Quran in this regard. Men, themselves don’t want their mothers, sisters and wives to fall into the haramic clutch of other men. They often advise their women folk to take care. But what about other women who are not their mother, sister or wife? Shouldn’t they be equally safeguarded?

I have observed and heard various lectures by so and so Maulanas and Muftis telling women folk to dress appropriately (purdah) and guard their chastity. Can’t they take a step down and talk the same to common men? In Kashmir - Srinagar, though it’s supposedly an Islamic State, only a handful of people practice Islam. Just the other Sunday (October 25th, 2015), round about 12.30pm, my two sisters in Islam and I were waiting to take out cash at the J&K Bank ATM in Munawarabad - Khayam Chowk. I stepped in to insert the ATM card into the machine when the security guard told me to remove the purdah.

I gestured him to go outside so that I could put down the purdah comfortably. I speak English as I am a foreigner. He still didn’t pay heed. With him inside, I told him in English to go outside as its unislamic for a woman to put down the purdah in front of a ghar mehram. He still remained inside. So I inserted the ATM card into the card slot. The security guard poked me in the arm, pushed me and told me to put the purdah down. Do security guards safeguard people or manhandle them?  I gestured the door to him again. He then stepped up and abruptly pressed the cancel button.

My two friends then came in. I relayed to them what the security guard had done. They told him to step out. He stepped out. My friend closed the door and I put the purdah down but then the ATM got jammed up. It wasn’t working anymore. And the security guard abruptly came in again creating a scene. And all this has been recorded in that CCTV camera if there is one in that ATM. I request the J&K Bank ATM Munawarabad – Khayam Chowk branch to go through the footage and have a word with their security guards.

Apart from being a foreigner, I am a Muslim and a girl. And this is no way to treat a girl. Moreover, this is not Islamic at all. Islamic scholars should first give dawah to men who are born Muslims but have no Islam in their hearts. They take things for granted. Like the phrase, you cannot clap with one hand; you cannot protect women folk without preaching the same to men. And Islamic values and laws are not only for women. It’s for humankind and men fall in this category. And banks should protect their customers not manhandle them. And I don’t think this case is a first of its kind.

Many women may have experienced the same. Authorities should look into the matter. If Kashmir – Srinagar is really an Islamic state then prove it. If not, then remove the tag ‘Islamic State’. And to Islamic scholars, please preach at the grassroots too. Islamic knowledge....the deen needs to be spread here, before catching their train or flight to preach elsewhere.