Muslim Moral Policing in Bengaluru needs to be Called Out
By
Arshad Alam, New Age Islam
20
September 2021
Muslims
Are Right to Condemn the Harassment of Muslim Woman in Bengaluru, but They Need
To Ask Themselves Some Hard Questions
Main
Points
• A Muslim woman is harassed in Bengaluru
simply because she is in the company of a Hindu man.
• Two Muslim men have been arrested in this
case of blatant moral policing.
• The incident throws up a larger question of
treatment of women in Muslim society.
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A Hindu man who was dropping his Muslim woman colleague home on his
two-wheeler was stopped and assaulted by a group of Muslim men in Bengaluru.
(Photo courtesy/ Yahoo News
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A video of
a Muslim woman being harassed by two Muslim men in Bengaluru has gone viral.
The woman in question was riding pillion with a Hindu man, a colleague of her,
which seems to have drawn the ire of Muslim vigilantes. The two men are seen
repeatedly slapping the Hindu man and asking the woman why she was a travelling
with an ‘unrelated’ male. They force her to call her husband and complain to
him that he is unable to keep a ‘check’ on his wife. Ultimately, they force her
to get off the bike and take an auto back home.
This might
be reminiscent of the Taliban’s Afghanistan but in India too such things have
become so common that it is no longer surprising. We have seen how Hindu
vigilante groups, in the name of stopping ‘love jihad’, have similarly
misbehaved with young men and women in different parts of India. The incident
in Bengaluru might be read as a reaction to such Hindu vigilantism but we know
that such methods are only counter-productive in the long run.
The brunt
of moral policing is almost inevitably faced by women, be they Hindu or Muslim.
It is ultimately her freedom which is questioned and restricted. These men,
whether Hindu or Muslim, singe the body and soul of women by appointing
themselves as the guardians of community’s honour.
While the
police have largely turned a blind eye to such illegal moral policing, in this
case they acted swiftly to arrest the two Muslim men who were responsible for
the assault. This was certainly the right thing to do. But what if the
religious identity of the assaulters was different and they were members of
some groups perceived to be close to the government? Whether the police would
have acted with similar alacrity is anybody’s guess.
This
however should not deter us from pointing out certain problems within the
Muslim society specifically with regard to its treatment of women. During a
trip to Azamgarh, one Muslim woman, who was a teacher in a school, told me that
men treat women like their slippers, meaning that they were accorded no
respect. If a school teacher can have such feelings, it can well be imagined
what other women must be feeling. Ironically, such sentiments are there despite
the fact Muslim women are making considerable strides in the field of secondary
and higher education. It seems as if their greater presence within the field of
education is having no corresponding effect on their social status.
What
happened in Bengaluru is nothing unusual if one observes the Muslim society
even casually. Moral policing is considerably higher as compared to other
communities. Girls and women are asked multiple questions regarding their
whereabouts while their male counterparts are given a free hand. Community
members keep a keen eye on socialization patterns of Muslim girls and especial
attention is paid in case they befriend someone from the opposite sex. They are
specially reprimanded when they make friendships outside the community. It is
not surprising that many Muslim men were appreciative of the new ‘anti
love-jihad’ law promulgated by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Muslim
girls are made to wear coverings of different kinds from a young age. This is
normally justified in the name of choice but we know that it is not a fact.
Rather, these garments become part of Muslim women’s attire because it is
perceived to be a religious command. From a humble madrasa which teaches
religion to the fancy schools run by various Muslim trusts, all insist that
Muslim girls should adhere to a specific religious dress code. The effect is
the sexualisation of Muslim girls from a very young age which is not healthy
for any society.
Simply
because something was written down in the scriptures centuries ago, is it
important to follow them today? The dominant interpretation of Islam clearly
states that women have been placed in the custody of men making it amply clear
that men are superior to women. The Islamic justification for this inequality
is that man has been given the financial responsibility of women. But haven’t
things changed today? Muslim women are capable of running any household and as
more of them go into higher education, this trend will only increase. Shouldn’t
the Islamic value system change to suit the needs of our changing society.
Clinging to the past in the name of tradition has done enough harm to Muslims.
What
happened in Bengaluru points to a deeper malaise within Muslim society. It is
good to see many Muslims come out and denounce the harassment that the woman
faced. But mere condemnation to sound politically correct will not do. If we do
not accept that such moral policing is in fact religiously sanctioned within
the community, we will not be able to address this problem.
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Arshad
Alam is a NewAgeIslam.com columnist.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/muslim-moral-policing-/d/125397
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