Asghar Ali Engineer

Asghar Ali Engineer, Indian Muslim, joins the recent debate sparked by the full veil. It is part of a wider area that concerns the rights of women. He advocates a "direct approach 'to the sacred text, and a departure from the Arab tradition, which keeps women in conditions of inferiority, claiming" their dignity and freedom of choice. "

A few days ago, Muslims in Karnataka took to the streets to protest the publication of an article against the Islamic veil by the ‘Kannada Prabha’ newspaper, ostensibly by well know writer Taslima Nasreen. Because of her liberal views on Islam, she has been living in exile for the past 16 years. The unrest left two people dead, and 50 injured; it also caused anger and fear among the State’s Hindu population. Asghar Ali Engineer, a Muslim and head of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, tells Indians about the struggle Muslim women are engaged in for their rights. He accuses Indian newspapers of distorting reality, something that is preventing a real reform of Islam.