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Women activists to enter Haji Ali Dargah

By FnF Desk | PUBLISHED: 29, Nov 2016, 11:30 am IST | UPDATED: 30, Nov 2016, 7:25 am IST

Women activists to enter Haji Ali Dargah Mumbai: For the first time after they challenged the ban on women's entry to the iconic Haji Ali Dargah's sanctum sanctorum two years ago, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) activists will visit the dargah on Tuesday.

On October 24, while complying with the Supreme Court verdict to allow women equal access to the shrine, Haji Ali Dargah Trust had sought four weeks for infrastructural changes to make arrangements for it.

"Around 80 women from the country will be part of the group which will enter the shrine to worship. We will offer shawl and flowers to the revered saint and pray for peace," said Noorjehan Safia Niaz, co-founder, BMMA. She added that women activists welcomed the Trust's decision to accord men and women equal treatment.

"Our basic fight was against gender bias and for Constitutional rights. Now that both men and women devotees can access the inner sanctum, we are glad and hope equality will be maintained in other spheres of life," said Niaz. Apart from making separate entries for men and women worshippers, the Trust has also decided not to allow any worshipper to touch the saint's tomb.

"Now both men and women devotees can stand almost two metres away from the tomb and nobody can touch it. We are complying with the affidavit we filed in the Supreme Court on October 24 and treating both men and women devotees equally," said Haji Ali dargah trustee Suhail Khandwani.

The struggle saw several twists and turns with Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai also jumping into the controversy. After some activists formed Haji Ali Sabke Liye (Haji Ali for all) forum to show solidarity with women fighting for their entry, Desai announced she would join the peaceful protest outside the shrine on April 28 but dramatically announced that she would enter it. She aborted the plan after some Muslim politicians and their supporters opposed her visit and visited the shrine the next day.
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