Orthodoxy redux: On Keralam, religion and Muslim women’s rights

Religion is oft used as a tool (साधन, माध्यम) to suppress women in the public sphere

Veteran Islamic cleric Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar’s directive to restrict Muslim women’s participation (भागीदारी, सहभागिता) in public celebrations has unsettled (विचलित करना, परेशान करना) Keralam because it strikes at (to attack or threaten the foundation of something; attack, target, undermine, threaten) a fundamental (मौलिक, बुनियादी) question: women’s right (अधिकार, हक) to participate in public life (सार्वजनिक जीवन में). This is not merely a quarrel over how Muslims should mark Prophet Muhammad’s 1,501st birth anniversary. It is a test (परीक्षा, कसौटी) of how far (किस हद तक, कितनी सीमा तक) religious authority (धार्मिक प्राधिकार, धार्मिक नेतृत्व) can intrude (हस्तक्षेप करना, दखल देना) into the lives of women in a State that takes pride in (गर्व करना) its progressive social history (सामाजिक इतिहास, सामाजिक पृष्ठभूमि). Kanthapuram says he is merely reminding followers (disciple, supporter, adherent, believer) of established (accepted, recognized, traditional, entrenched) religious norms (religious rule, customary practice, faith-based convention, spiritual standard). His supporters argue Milad celebrations have moved beyond mosques and madrasas into large public events, and that scholars have a duty to caution against (to warn someone about a problem or danger; warn about, advise against, alert to, forewarn of) such departures (a deviation from an accepted, prescribed, or traditional course of action; deviation, shift, variation, divergence). That argument holds no weight (to lack credibility, significance, or influence; lack credibility, be unconvincing, have no influence, be invalid). Communities have the right to preserve (protect, conserve, maintain, safeguard) traditions (custom, practice, convention, heritage) and regulate (control, govern, manage, direct) religious practices (a routine or custom connected to one’s faith; religious observance, religious ritual, religious custom, faith-based activity), but they have to conform to (comply with rules, standards, or laws; comply with, adhere to, abide by, observe) the values (a person’s principles or standards of behavior; principle, ethic, moral, ideal) enshrined in (preserve or protect in a sacred, formal, or official document; embody, incorporate, preserve, embed) the Constitution. When women are told to remain at home because their presence could cause “chaos”, the issue is no longer about religious observance; it is at variance with constitutional equality and Keralam’s long struggle to expand the space (opportunity, freedom, or realm for activity or expression; room, scope, opportunity, latitude) in public life for women disadvantaged (in unfavorable circumstances, especially regarding financial or social opportunities; underprivileged, marginalized, deprived, oppressed) by social customs (a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something specific to a particular society; societal tradition, cultural practice, conventional behavior, societal norm) and religious traditions.

The Muslim community is not a monolith (a large and impersonal political, corporate, or social structure regarded as indivisible and uniform; unified body, homogeneous group, single entity, uniform structure). It contains (include, comprise, encompass, incorporate) both orthodox and progressive (प्रगतिशील) currents. More Muslim women are breaking barriers in education, employment, politics and public life, but that progress is encountering a counter-current (a current flowing in an opposite direction to the main current; opposing trend, reverse movement, contrary force, opposing tendency) of renewed (having been resumed, reestablished, or revived; revived, restored, reestablished, rejuvenated) orthodoxy (रूढ़िवादिता, परंपरावाद) and social control (the way in which society regulates human behavior; societal regulation, community control, societal policing, social governance). The CPI(M), Keralam’s main Opposition party and a decades-old (having existed for several tens of years; long-standing, age-old, long-established, enduring) ally (partner, associate, confederate, supporter) of the Kanthapuram-led faction (a small organized dissenting group within a larger one; group, bloc, camp, section) of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a body (organization, association, entity, institution) of Sunni (a member of the largest branch of Islam, which follows the Sunnah (traditions and practices) of Prophet Muhammad and recognizes the first four caliphs as his legitimate successors) scholars, has responded (say or do something in reply; reply, react, answer, counter, retort) sharply. The Congress, which leads the ruling coalition, was largely guarded until Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan rubbished (criticise or dismiss something as worthless, foolish, or untrue; disparage, dismiss, denigrate, condemn) the decree (order, edict, command, proclamation) as antediluvian (ridiculously old-fashioned or outdated; outdated, outmoded, backward, primitive). The Indian Union Muslim League’s silence (inaction, muteness, quietness, reticence, speechlessness) is harder (more difficult or requiring greater effort to accomplish or justify; more difficult, tougher, more challenging) to defend (justify, vindicate, support, protect). A party with an active (engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits or effective action; involved, dynamic, functional, working, operating, engaged) women’s forum (women’s group, female council, women’s body, women’s committee) and a woman legislator (lawmaker, representative, parliamentarian, assembly member) for the first time in the State Assembly cannot equivocate (use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself; prevaricate, be evasive, beat around the bush, hedge, vacillate) when women’s right to public participation is open to challenge. Its caution may reflect political pressure over Waqf (an Islamic permanent endowment of property for religious or charitable purposes, managed in India under the Waqf Act, 1995), Vande Mataram (the national song of India, originally a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1882, which historically symbolized the Indian independence movement) and PM-SHRI, or an attempt to improve ties (relationship, connection, association, link) with the Kanthapuram faction amid (surrounded by or in the middle of; in the middle of, amidst, during, through) strained relations (tense relationship, troubled connection, uneasy relationship, fraught association) with the rival (competing, opposing, conflicting, contending) Samastha faction. Whatever the political calculation (assessment, judgment, estimation, reckoning), silence carries a cost (to have negative consequences or require some sacrifice; have consequences, involve negative repercussions, bear a penalty, entail a price). Religious freedom does not confer on religious authorities the right to regulate women’s freedom of movement, association and degree (level, extent, measure, magnitude) of participation (the action of taking part in something; involvement, engagement, contribution, taking part) in society. During Onam (an annual harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the people of Keralam, India, marking the homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali; harvest festival, Thiruvonam), social media were awash with (containing large numbers or amounts of someone or something; flooded with, inundated with, overflowing with, swamped with) videos of young Muslim girls celebrating the harvest (the process or season of gathering in crops; crop gathering, agricultural yield) festival. Kanthapuram’s remarks (comment, statement, observation, utterance) drew criticism from a section (a distinct group or faction within a larger population or community) of Muslim women on social media. Keralam cannot claim (state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof; assert, profess, declare, state) to be progressive while making exceptions (special case, anomaly, deviation, exclusion) for orthodoxy.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.orthodoxy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रूढ़िवादिता, परंपरावाद
English Meaning - adherence to traditional or conventional beliefs, especially in religion; traditionalism, conservatism, conventionality, strictness.

2.redux (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्जीवित
English Meaning - brought back or revived; revived, restored, returned, resurrected.

3.right (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकार, हक
English Meaning - entitlement, prerogative, privilege, liberty.

4.social history (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामाजिक इतिहास, सामाजिक पृष्ठभूमि
English Meaning - cultural past, societal background, collective history, community heritage.

5.tool (noun)

Hindi Meaning - साधन, माध्यम
English Meaning - instrument, device, apparatus, mechanism.

6.participation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भागीदारी, सहभागिता
English Meaning - the act of taking part in an activity, event, or aspect of public life; involvement, engagement, contribution, involvement.

7.unsettle (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विचलित करना, परेशान करना
English Meaning - disturb, unnerve, disconcert, perturb.

8.fundamental (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मौलिक, बुनियादी
English Meaning - basic, underlying, core, essential.

9.in public life (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक जीवन में
English Meaning - in the visible affairs of society and community; in the public domain, in civic affairs, in society, in community life.

10.test (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परीक्षा, कसौटी
English Meaning - trial, examination, assessment, evaluation.

11.how far (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - किस हद तक, कितनी सीमा तक
English Meaning - to what extent, how much, how extensively, to what degree.

12.religious authority (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धार्मिक प्राधिकार, धार्मिक नेतृत्व
English Meaning - the power or influence exercised by religious leaders or institutions over matters of faith, conduct, or community life; clerical authority, spiritual authority, religious leadership, religious power.

13.intrude (verb)

Hindi Meaning - हस्तक्षेप करना, दखल देना
English Meaning - put oneself deliberately into a place or situation where one is unwelcome or uninvited; encroach, interfere, infringe, trespass.

14.take pride in (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - गर्व करना
English Meaning - to feel proud of something; feel proud of, delight in, revel in, rejoice in.

15.progressive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रगतिशील
English Meaning - forward-looking, liberal, advanced, modern.

16.strike at (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to attack or threaten the foundation of something; attack, target, undermine, threaten.

17.oft (adverb)

English Meaning - frequently or many times; often, frequently, repeatedly, regularly.

18.follower (noun)

English Meaning - disciple, supporter, adherent, believer.

19.established (adjective)

English Meaning - accepted, recognized, traditional, entrenched.

20.religious norm (noun)

English Meaning - religious rule, customary practice, faith-based convention, spiritual standard.

21.caution against (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to warn someone about a problem or danger; warn about, advise against, alert to, forewarn of.

22.departure (noun)

English Meaning - a deviation from an accepted, prescribed, or traditional course of action; deviation, shift, variation, divergence.

23.hold no weight (phrase)

English Meaning - to lack credibility, significance, or influence; lack credibility, be unconvincing, have no influence, be invalid.

24.preserve (verb)

English Meaning - protect, conserve, maintain, safeguard.

25.tradition (noun)

English Meaning - custom, practice, convention, heritage.

26.regulate (verb)

English Meaning - control, govern, manage, direct.

27.religious practice (noun)

English Meaning - a routine or custom connected to one’s faith; religious observance, religious ritual, religious custom, faith-based activity.

28.conform to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - comply with rules, standards, or laws; comply with, adhere to, abide by, observe.

29.value (noun)

English Meaning - a person’s principles or standards of behavior; principle, ethic, moral, ideal.

30.enshrine in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - preserve or protect in a sacred, formal, or official document; embody, incorporate, preserve, embed.

31.space (noun)

English Meaning - opportunity, freedom, or realm for activity or expression; room, scope, opportunity, latitude.

32.disadvantaged (adjective)

English Meaning - in unfavorable circumstances, especially regarding financial or social opportunities; underprivileged, marginalized, deprived, oppressed.

33.social custom (noun)

English Meaning - a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something specific to a particular society; societal tradition, cultural practice, conventional behavior, societal norm.

34.monolith (noun)

English Meaning - a large and impersonal political, corporate, or social structure regarded as indivisible and uniform; unified body, homogeneous group, single entity, uniform structure.

35.contain (verb)

English Meaning - include, comprise, encompass, incorporate.

36.counter-current (noun)

English Meaning - a current flowing in an opposite direction to the main current; opposing trend, reverse movement, contrary force, opposing tendency.

37.renewed (adjective)

English Meaning - having been resumed, reestablished, or revived; revived, restored, reestablished, rejuvenated.

38.social control (noun)

English Meaning - the way in which society regulates human behavior; societal regulation, community control, societal policing, social governance.

39.decades-old (adjective)

English Meaning - having existed for several tens of years; long-standing, age-old, long-established, enduring.

40.ally (noun)

English Meaning - partner, associate, confederate, supporter.

41.faction (noun)

English Meaning - a small organized dissenting group within a larger one; group, bloc, camp, section.

42.body (noun)

English Meaning - organization, association, entity, institution.

43.Sunni (proper noun)

English Meaning - a member of the largest branch of Islam, which follows the Sunnah (traditions and practices) of Prophet Muhammad and recognizes the first four caliphs as his legitimate successors.

44.Shia (noun)

English Meaning - a Muslim belonging to the branch of Islam that regards Ali (the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad) and his descendants as the rightful successors to Muhammad.

45.respond (verb)

English Meaning - say or do something in reply; reply, react, answer, counter, retort.

46.rubbish (verb)

English Meaning - criticise or dismiss something as worthless, foolish, or untrue; disparage, dismiss, denigrate, condemn.

47.decree (noun)

English Meaning - order, edict, command, proclamation.

48.antediluvian (adjective)

English Meaning - ridiculously old-fashioned or outdated; outdated, outmoded, backward, primitive.

49.silence (noun)

English Meaning - inaction, muteness, quietness, reticence, speechlessness.

50.harder (adjective)

English Meaning - more difficult or requiring greater effort to accomplish or justify; more difficult, tougher, more challenging.

51.defend (verb)

English Meaning - justify, vindicate, support, protect.

52.active (adjective)

English Meaning - engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits or effective action; involved, dynamic, functional, working, operating, engaged.

53.women’s forum (noun)

English Meaning - women’s group, female council, women’s body, women’s committee.

54.legislator (noun)

English Meaning - lawmaker, representative, parliamentarian, assembly member.

55.equivocate (verb)

English Meaning - use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself; prevaricate, be evasive, beat around the bush, hedge, vacillate.

56.Waqf (noun)

English Meaning - an Islamic permanent endowment of property for religious or charitable purposes, managed in India under the Waqf Act, 1995.

57.Vande Mataram (noun)

English Meaning - the national song of India, originally a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1882, which historically symbolized the Indian independence movement.

58.PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) (noun)

English Meaning - a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Government of India in 2022 to upgrade and develop over 14,500 schools to showcase the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

59.tie (noun)

English Meaning - relationship, connection, association, link.

60.amid (preposition)

English Meaning - surrounded by or in the middle of; in the middle of, amidst, during, through.

61.strained relation (noun)

English Meaning - tense relationship, troubled connection, uneasy relationship, fraught association.

62.strained (adjective)

English Meaning - tense, uneasy, or showing signs of stress and friction; tense, fraught, troubled, uneasy.

63.rival (adjective)

English Meaning - competing, opposing, conflicting, contending.

64.calculation (noun)

English Meaning - assessment, judgment, estimation, reckoning.

65.carry a cost (phrase)

English Meaning - to have negative consequences or require some sacrifice; have consequences, involve negative repercussions, bear a penalty, entail a price.

66.degree (noun)

English Meaning - level, extent, measure, magnitude.

67.participation (noun)

English Meaning - the action of taking part in something; involvement, engagement, contribution, taking part.

68.Onam (proper noun)

English Meaning - an annual harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the people of Keralam, India, marking the homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali; harvest festival, Thiruvonam.

69.awash with (phrase)

English Meaning - containing large numbers or amounts of someone or something; flooded with, inundated with, overflowing with, swamped with.

70.harvest (noun)

English Meaning - the process or season of gathering in crops; crop gathering, agricultural yield.

71.remark (noun)

English Meaning - comment, statement, observation, utterance.

72.draw criticism (phrase)

English Meaning - to attract negative reactions or disapproval; attract censure, provoke condemnation, elicit disapproval, face backlash.

73.section (noun)

English Meaning - a distinct group or faction within a larger population or community.

74.claim (verb)

English Meaning - state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof; assert, profess, declare, state.

75.exception (noun)

English Meaning - special case, anomaly, deviation, exclusion.

76.make an exception (phrase)

English Meaning - allow someone or something to be treated differently from the usual rule or practice; make an allowance, waive the rule, grant special treatment, allow an exception.