Muslim leaders including ulema have been motivating Muslim voters – men and women – to exercise their franchise in elections stressing the significance of mandate in the light of the Holy Qur’ān and Hadith. All India Muslim Personal Law Board and other Muslim organisations have often appealed to Muslims to vote without fail. But now on a petition that says that “asking purdha nashin (purdha observing) women to lift their veil for being photographed would amount to sacrilege”, the Supreme Court has rightly said that burqa-clad women cannot be issued voter identity cards. This ridiculous petition should be withdrawn. The AIMPLB should interfere in this matter and tell the Muslims that there is no point in the argument of the petitioner and make its point clear to enable all Muslim women to get voting identity cards as per the rules and exercise their franchise in elections. It cannot be a silent spectator to the goings on in the Supreme Court in the name of Islam. The AIMPLB should also see to it that the petition is withdrawn from the Supreme Court.
V.M. Khaleelur Rahman
Ambur, T.N.