Maha favours women’s entry to Haji Ali Dargah

The Maharashtra  government on Tuesday favoured the entry of women in the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah here. The state advocate general conveyed the government’s stand to the Bombay high court, which reserved its judgement on the issue.

After hearing the arguments of the parties concerned, a Division Bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite Dere asked all the parties to submit their arguments in writing in two weeks.

Appearing before the Bench, the advocate general said unless the Dargah Board is able to prove that the ban is a part of their religious practice with reference to the Quran, women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali.

The court had on February 3 asked the state government to express its opinion on the PIL, challenging the decision of the Haji Ali Trust to ban the entry of women in the sanctum sanctorum of the historic durgah. This is the first time that the state has been asked to give its views on women’s entry to a shrine.

The Dargah Board said that the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah houses the grave of a male saint and in Islam it is sin for women to touch a male saint, and hence, women are barred from touching the tomb.

Petitioner Raju More, however, contended that as per Haji Ali’s website, no one is buried inside the tomb. Hence, it is not a graveyard of a saint.

“I also gave the court a printout of what is officially mentioned on the Haji Ali’s website in support of my argument,” he said.

The HC had indicated last month that it would wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling on the entry of women to Sabarimala Temple in Kerala before deciding on the plea.

A petition in the Apex Court has sought entry for all women and girls to the Sabarimala temple, which as a practice does not allow girls after attaining puberty to enter the premises. The temple, however, allows only those women to enter the premises who have reached the menopause stage.