Muslim lady alleges religious insensitivity by cops
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 29 2013 :
Strongly condemning male police personnel's insistence for removing the burqa cloak to identify herself before entering the main venue of the ongoing Manipur Sangai Festival, one Anwari Nurhan demanded unconditional apology from the police team concerned failing which relevant legal action would be initiated.
Speaking to newspersons at the Hatta office of United manipur Muslim Women's Development Organisation, Nurhan, who also happens to the Organisation president said as usual she stood in line (queue) at the First Gate (Palace Gate) of the ongoing Festival for security checking at around 6.55 pm of November 28 .
With the Organisation also running a stall (No.161) by the name of Indigenous Manipuri Muslim Enterprises in the Festival, Nurhan was supposed to oversee the stall's operation.
However, on that particular evening, Nurhan said she returned home as some male police personnel manning the gate insisted on lifting her burqa and paid no heed to her explanation that under Islam customary law a Muslim woman cannot lift her veil in public or to male strangers.
Expressing that under Islam lifting the burqa before a male stranger is considered immoral, she also maintained that no objection was raised in earlier occasions when lady police personnel checked her identity at an enclosed area.
Insisting that police authorities would be held responsible if any item is found missing from Stall No.161 of the Festival for she had entered the venue in the past two days, Nurhan also demanded unconditional apology by the police before the Festival winds up.