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Women only fit to deliver children: Indian Muslim leader

Aboobacker Musliyar says women could never equal men

Web Desk November 29, 2015

Kerala Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

A prominent Indian Muslim leader said on Saturday that women could never equal men as “they are only fit to deliver children.”

“Gender equality is something which is never going to be a reality. It is against Islam, humanity and was intellectually wrong,” All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama chief Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliyar said, while addressing a students’ camp.

The costs of Hindu extremism

“Women can never equal men. They are fit only to deliver children. Women cannot withstand crisis situations,” he added.

Musliyar went on to say that women do not have courage. “Women doctors can do general medicine or manage pediatrics. But they don’t have the courage for big surgical interventions,’’ he added.

India under extremist threat

Musliyar has a history of making contentious remarks over issues concerning women and their role in society, according to the Indian Express. The leader recently spoke against women reservation in local governing bodies and also advocated marriage of minor girls which he claims ensures morality and discipline in society.

This article originally appeared on DNA India.

COMMENTS (56)

Rao | 8 years ago | Reply @Jag Nathan: You have summarised it well. These statements are products of ignorance. A survey in USA a couple of years ago showed that 40% of respondents believed in ghosts! This is in a modern scientific and technological superpower! In 800 AD circa, one the most brilliant minds in Indian religious philosophy came from Kerala. He was responsible for rejuvenating Hinduism on a philosophical plane. He walked up and down the breadth of India. He was. Adi Shankaracharya!

Noufal | 8 years ago | Reply The news is wrong. He said only women can give birth,Men cannot. And men and women are not equal.

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Holy Matricide | 8 years ago | Reply @Mudassir: Just...no. Not every woman wants to have kids, but that doesn't diminish her worth. Women, like men, are to be valued for their intellect, ambition, talents, personality and strength; NOT for their reproductive potential. We are not walking wombs. Giving birth is not an accomplishment. All animals do it. Raising children to be good people is an accomplishment, but that's not just a mother's job. The father also plays an equal role. Gah.

John Mayer | 8 years ago | Reply "Women doctors can do general medicine or manage pediatrics. But they don’t have the courage for big surgical interventions.’ Of all my clinicals, the most daunting, the ones requiring the most emotional courage, were neo-natal and PICU.

JB | 8 years ago | Reply Women are fit for many things. U will even be amazed to know what they r capable of, if u give them a chance. . Just fit for delivery it seems.. U will not even be able to bear the pain of undergoing a delivery or the patience to carry a baby for 1 month. And ur saying this in the name of Islam?? I feel sorry for your children. Oh.. and I am a Muslim. . .

G. Din | 8 years ago | Reply Don't fault the old fool. He is probably just regurgitating what is in the Book!

Dilip | 8 years ago | Reply I agree with him. In India a supreme court judge said 93% dowry cases by women are fake. And there is no punishment for those women for this crime !!!

DR SUNIL J RAO | 8 years ago | Reply This statement definitely needs to be condemned by all, whether muslim or not, whether Indian or not. However, my question is this : I have heard many Islamic 'scholars' say that the role of women in Islam, (therefore islamic societies ), cannot be "equal" but should be complementary. This is the prevailing discourse in KSA, Iran, etc --many here say openly that the western concept of "equality of the sexes" is anthema to Islam...Would you agree ?

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply The readers should take note of his statement which is nothing but his personal judgement, and should not be construed as a religous dogma coming from a theologist. There is no divine word against human rights nor is there against the equality of the gender. Rex Minor

hell | 8 years ago | Reply And you men?

Tit for tat | 8 years ago | Reply The fact is you should be in the Grave . Mind your own business what our mothers ( women ) are doing .

jawad ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply Islam does not limit the women rights against men but islam gives equal rights to both. Islam does not give orders to make the women prisoner in the house. Only these types of so called muslims leaders are resulting the bad image for muslims in front of the world. they are only the illitrate, narrow minded and extremists. only because of them world understand all muslims like them. these type of people are not our muslims leaders but these are anti muslim leaders only.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply "Women cannot withstand crisis situations,” “Women doctors can do general medicine or manage pediatrics. But they don’t have the courage for big surgical interventions,’’ Man this guy really needs to come back to earth.

Sulaiman | 8 years ago | Reply @Azam Khan: During a dialogue on gender equality, Shaikh Aboobacker Ahmed was explaining that both gender can't be equal. . Both have their own unique responsibilities . Few things only women can do.. Few things men can do better.. For example: "Only women can do delivery" and she is extremely good at parenting the children with love and affection. "What we need is gender justice ; not gender equality " he added. Immediately kerala media reported : "Women can do delivery only" : Shaikh Aboobacker Next day most of them given clarification about thier mistake.. But now national media has taken kerala media's initial twisted version.. A news out of nothing !!

Rajesh | 8 years ago | Reply Seriously, why do we give coverage to these savages?

Dr. Syed Imam | 8 years ago | Reply By same analogy, men are only suitable for serving as a sperm donor, and their purpose of being a man is accomplished.

FAZ | 8 years ago | Reply @ajeet: With over 5000 years of acclaimed history, how many years do you think the ritual of satti has been banned? Even the Mughals couldn't enforce it. So, just give your favourite minority a break.

Cricket | 8 years ago | Reply Looks like a mentor of boom boom Afridi. Didnt he say the same thing about wife?

daman | 8 years ago | Reply I wish his mum could have slap him tightly.. as this is the disrespect of all the women including his mum,,, i pity on this person

MJ | 8 years ago | Reply This is malicious reporting at its highest. He said "Only women can deliver children" and it got translated into "Women only fit to deliver children".

ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply India's favorite minority never ceases to amaze me.

Azam Khan | 8 years ago | Reply What Muslims did he lead ?. Who made him a leader of the Indian Muslims ?

Kolsat | 8 years ago | Reply @Rao: I suppose this is because Pakistani clerics are busy spreading hatred against the non-Muslims and asking young men and women to become jihadists or suicide bombers.

Foul Language | 8 years ago | Reply @saleem tahir: "Why do we give coverage to them " So as to defame them. I am sure he has not been reported fully or reported out of context. Off course men cannot deliver children and only women are fit to deliver them. Men and women are equal though different. They can be differently capable in different areas of competence.

Mk | 8 years ago | Reply oh my God! He shouldn't be called a "Muslim leader" when he clearly hasn't studied Islam and its teachings properly!! May Allah have mercy on such people - they are the ones degrading the status of woman in Islam..and the sad part is, a whole bunch of ignorant fools will believe and follow what he says.

Foul Language | 8 years ago | Reply @yolo: Free speech and criticism is fine but it should not necessarily entail the use of foul language. ET, as a standard should disallow such language.

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Hachoo is clearly agreeing with the sexist cleric. This would also be expected to come from clerics in Pakistan. Which is why we need to REGULATE all imaams and sheikhs. They do this in Turkey, which is why the imaams and sheikhs over there dont go against democracy, gender equality, and tolerance for others.

Waqas Javed | 8 years ago | Reply We ought to mark a boundary between "similar rights" and "equal rights". That's all.

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply His logic is correct they can never equal men.....because they are one step ahead, God has made them so that they alone can deliver babies.......men can't.

Akbar | 8 years ago | Reply Not sure if our Mullah`s are Inspiring this Cleric or this Cleric is inspiring ours.

Skywalker | 8 years ago | Reply @Marriam: Good idea. Time for sermons to be approved by some authority, like they do it in Tunisia now. Such filth will only hold women back and keep them at the mercy of the men.

Skywalker | 8 years ago | Reply @Rex Minor: The main point is, unfortunately, there are many who will follow him, than the ones who agree with you.

Mudassir | 8 years ago | Reply In fact, this is not something to be ashamed of. It is the most remarkable feature of a woman which exalts her status even above men in my eyes. No man can bear a child, no matter how strong or powerful he is. God selected woman for the process of creation.

Ch. Allah Daad | 8 years ago | Reply Its true that only women are fit to deliver babies but its also true that many of them do a very bad job. The women who delivered this person should have delivered some useful object.

hzr | 8 years ago | Reply So he thinks his mother was fit only to deliver a nitwit like him and he grew up miraculously all by himself.Such guys make the community the butt of jokes and derision

cautious | 8 years ago | Reply This guy wouldn't last two minutes in a debate with Angela Merkel, Condolesa Rice, Hillary Clinton, or Sheikh Hasina. He's a Neanderthal and likely terrified of independent women.

Jag Nathan | 8 years ago | Reply There is no dearth of idiots on this planet They come in every color, sex and nationality - Hindus, Muslims, Christians and whatever else. Thank God, the Muslims of Kerala assign little value to this preaching. They know better. Muslim woman are on the forefront in every sector of our society and are some of the best. Kerala would not be the Kerala of today without them.

Skywalker | 8 years ago | Reply If now Indians go after him, let us not cry "Muslims are mistreated", we don't need such retards anywhere in the subcontinent.

Hachoo | 8 years ago | Reply To those who read this news....Please try to translate the full length of the peach. I have heard it live, All over his peach he mentioned the greatness of a women,. Safety of women, love and respect towards women, Kanthapuram actually Said Only women can deliver kids and nurture them and men is not as much as capable in that way. Men has different skills women have different skills... and it is not possible to compare them..and eaquel. this is what Kanthapuram told

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply My mother is a surgeon, so you are wrong.

Saad | 8 years ago | Reply And they complain that Muslims are backward compared to other communities.

Marriam | 8 years ago | Reply Such clerics should not be allowed to preach and give sermons if they're going to try and degrade women like this.

Rao | 8 years ago | Reply He is an Indian Muslim clergyman and less learned. Such statements won't come out other Muslim countries

F.A | 8 years ago | Reply I am loving the comments here. Kind of neutralizes the impact of this highly ignorant statement by a so-called cleric.

S | 8 years ago | Reply I hope one day he undergoes some big brain surgery, as he clearly needs one, and the surgeon is a woman.

yolo | 8 years ago | Reply pity his wife..if he has one. pity the woman who agreed to spend her life with such a douchebag.

Ali S | 8 years ago | Reply @Faizan: Idiots like this so-called 'leader' can never be half as courageous, manly or talented as the women they consider inferior to them are. They deserve to be insulted, ignored and not given any kind of pedestal in society. It's tragic that some of our society's most ignorant, ill-educated and bigoted members are given a free pass under the guise of religion.

Reeba | 8 years ago | Reply I agree with the musaliyar about one thing. men and women are not equal. Women are far superior to men in everything except physical strength if given opportunity, education and empowerment. Western women can look after household, go to work and do everything independently. If eastern and middle eastern women are also given the same empowerment, they also will do the same.

RAEES | 8 years ago | Reply Ha Ha, I am not surprised as I expect more than this from such type of people.

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply A prominent Indian Muslim leader said on Saturday that women could never equal men as “they are only fit to deliver children.” This is the gentleman's opinion based on his observation and experience, not mine and is certainly not ordined in the religion of Islam. Rex Minor

Zia | 8 years ago | Reply TRUE

Faizan | 8 years ago | Reply How??? I'm myself a medical student and our HoD is a woman and she is a heart surgeon and can even perform open heart surgery.

raheel | 8 years ago | Reply when reporting such opinion the respected newspaper should also report few counter opinions which are quite a few out there.

Rishabh Jain | 8 years ago | Reply Salute! With such citizens, who needs enemies.

Rumormonger | 8 years ago | Reply There is inequality among men also. There are some low-lifes like you psuedomullas.

saleem tahir | 8 years ago | Reply Yet another ignorant clergy. Why do we give coverage to them ?

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