Islamists may feel elated that in Dar-al-harb called India, there is a small patch of virtual Waziristan where sort of Sharia is in practice in term of not allowing female students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to enter its 'Maulana Azad Library' which has been declared 'only for male students'.
The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University Zameeruddin Shah has clarified that if the female students were allowed in the library, then more male students would follow them and library would be overcrowded. The logic has either covertly disallowed male and female students of the university to share library space together as per Islamic orthodox system or hinted some obnoxious attitude of male students of AMU when they saw girls. The VC of AMU was a retired Indian Army Lt. General. He, in all probability, acted like another Allah's General (Zia-ul-haq of Pakistan).
The matter came to light when a female Muslim reporter from Aligarh reported the decision of AMU to 'The Times of India' some days back. After that she has started getting threats from different Waziristanis of India. Incidentally the said female reporter was from Shia sect. So she has found herself in double trouble. Many students of AMU, both male and female, had taken out a procession in Aligarh shouting slogans "VC is our father" and "We will not let media defame AMU".
Such putrefied attitude and action on the part of AMU administration is not the monopoly of some Islamists. Their Hindu counterparts are not behind. Hindus also have their moral police. Given the opportunity, they will also drive their womenfolk within Chardewari and Chaddar. Jitan Ram Manjhi, the Chief Minister of Indian State of Biha,r has recently questioned the morality of married women whose husbands have been working outside the State after marriage for years. In male dominated society a male politician was only trying to act like a moral police of women.
To many people in Indian sub-continent, sexual morality is a fluid state. High sexual moral standard can only be achieved by putting dams between boys and girls (or men and women); but not through realizing and understanding about women's/girls' right to freedom, dignity and respect. This is an unfortunate aspect of our shared culture.