Jama Masjid bars entry of unaccompanied girls, rethinks after outrage

“Shahi Imam Bukhari has agreed to revoke the order, with the request that visitors respect and maintain the sanctity of the mosque,” officials said

The monument’s management had put up a board at its gate 15 days ago that read: “Jama Masjid main ladki ya ladkiyon ka akele daakhla mana hai (the entry of a girl or girls in Jama Masjid is prohibited).”

People offer Eid al-Adha prayers at the Jama Masjid mosque in New Delhi. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

Shahi Imam Bukhari told The Indian Express: “The decision was taken by the managing committee of the mosque and the board was put up 15 days ago. The board will be removed tonight.”

The managing committee includes Bukhari, other officials of Jama Masjid and Wakf Board chairperson Amanatullah Khan, who is also an AAP MLA.

Earlier in the day, Jama Masjid’s public relations officer Sabiullah Khan said the board was put up to restrict entry of single women who “give time to men, do wrong things” and treat the premises like a meeting point or park.

“There is no restriction on the entry of women. The restriction is for women who come here alone, give time to men, do wrong things, make videos. Right now, there are several women here. If you come with your family, there is no ban, if you are a married couple, there is no ban. But making this a meeting point, treating it like a park, dancing, making Tik Tok videos these are not acceptable in any place of worship, be it a temple, a masjid or a gurdwara. Our aim behind the ban is that the masjid be used only as a place of worship,” he said.

On Thursday evening, several women, alone and in groups were seen inside the premises. Mary, a tourist from Andhra Pradesh, was among those who visited with a group of four women and said they were not stopped by anyone.

Shahi Imam Bukhari said: “There is no restriction on any woman entering the Jama Masjid… But if somebody turns this into a meeting point… brings a rose and proposes… whether that is a masjid, mandir or gurdwara, that is not reasonable. If a woman comes alone and wants to pray or see the masjid, she can do that. But if she says that she has given time to meet her boyfriend here usko toh roka jayega, na (we will stop her, right)? Either you come with your elders, your father, brother, mother… but boyfriend se milne aaye…yeh munasib nahi hai (it is not appropriate). In a gurdwara, can you stray from the instructions? There are no other restrictions, this is only for those people who have turned this into a meeting point… we received videos of this and people objected. Women are coming alone and in groups, there is no restriction on that.”

Other mosque officials said they had first started with announcements, asking that people follow decorum in the premises.

Ansarullah Khan, who identified himself as an assistant PRO and was seated near one of the entrances to the monument, said: “Yeh unke liye lagaya hai jo galat kar rahe hai (this is for people who misbehave)… people who want to make videos, call their boyfriends. We were making announcements earlier asking people not to do these things, but when it continued, the boards were set up… Some of these videos went viral. Khan then pointed to a video on his phone in which two people are seated on one of the ledges of the masjid and the man is seen touching the woman’s face.

Those involved in the administration of Fatehpuri Masjid at Chandni Chowk, one of Delhi’s biggest mosques, said there are no restrictions there but that they, too, have had to deal with “inappropriate activities”.

“We don’t stop anyone but sometimes there are people who indulge in inappropriate activities in the mosque. This will not be accepted in any place of worship. We usually tell them off sternly,” the official said.