Kerala's Gen Z women push back on cleric's 'stay home' remarks
Young women in Kerala are responding to a cleric's controversial remarks urging them to stay home, with many asserting their right to choose their own paths.
A statement by Sunni leader Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar, suggesting that women should remain within their homes and that their presence in public spaces would lead to 'great destruction', has ignited a fierce debate across Kerala. The remarks have particularly resonated with young women, many of whom are pushing back against the idea that their roles should be predetermined.
For 23-year-old Fathima Farha, a student from Malappuram, the statement is a clear overreach. "Women have the right to decide what they want to do with their lives," she argues, adding that while staying home is a valid choice, forcing it on all women is unfair in an era where they are studying and working.
The responses, however, reveal a sharp divide among the state's Gen Z women. While some see the remarks as regressive and patriarchal, others interpret them as protective measures rooted in religious tradition. K. C. Aliya Praveen, a postgraduate student from Kozhikode, believes the cleric's words were directed at believers with the intent to protect them, but stresses that individual choice must ultimately prevail. "One should be free to decide whether to stay at home or pursue one's dreams," she says.
Many young women are framing the issue not as a binary choice between work and home, but as a fundamental question of autonomy. Amritha S., a graduate student from Kottayam, clarifies that the problem is not staying at home, but being told to do so. This sentiment is echoed by Fathimath Swaliha from Kannur, who asks, "Why does a woman's place have to be decided for her?"
Others point to the changing realities of society. Raziya Fathima from Thrissur notes that women today are educated and financially independent, with ambitions that do not conflict with their faith. Anusree Prakash, a postgraduate student from Pala, insists that as citizens, women have every right to choose their own path. Riya Fathima from Ernakulam suggests that tradition can be respected without compromising individual freedom, a view that captures the central tension of the debate: reconciling faith and community values with the modern aspirations of women.