Madurai: Condemning the recent appointment of a Muslim woman as a member of a city "jamaat", the Tamil Nadu Federation of Jamaats today (Oct 29, 2004) said it would take up the issue with the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board. "Muslims across Tamil Nadu are not happy with the appointment. We will take up the issue with All-India Muslim Personal Law Board," General Secretary of the State Muslim Jamaat Peravai A E S Raja Hasanfarali told reporters in Madurai.

The 59-year old Nazneen Barkath, a former women's college principal, was unanimously inducted into the K K Nagar Mosque Committee Jamaat, which was described by a section of Muslims as a victory for their community women fighting for equal rights.

Hasanfarali said the city United Jamaat (the apex body of jamaats in TN) would hold its General Council meeting on Sunday (Oct 31, 2004) to discuss the issue.

The United Jamaat Secretary S Ibrahim and vice-president M Abdul Kader were also present.

He charged Barkath and her "promoters" with trying to destroy the Islamic discipline and regulations, "using money and designation. Like the Nazis who destroyed Islam in Spain, they are trying to do it in India".

He also claimed that the K.K.Nagar Mosque Committee was not a jamaat at all, but only a congregation site, and a school for Arabic and Urdu language. Bakrath was only a member of the school committee managed by Wakf Board.

He, however, agreed that neither that "Shariat" (Islamic law) nor The Quran prevented a woman from becoming a member of the jamaat committee.