ALIGARH: There is a storm of protest brewing in Aligarh Muslim University after some male students said women waving flags during campaigning for the students union poll set for Wednesday is "against Muslim culture."

The women quickly lashed back, circulating posters on social media and outside that said, 'It is not a sin for a girl to wave a flag'; 'Nobody can question my freedom of expression,'; 'The hypocrites who call me sister and then challenge my freedom need to know I am not a fool'.

Some men on campus had raised their voices against women in burqas holding up placards, claiming it is against Muslim culture. Women better stay off campus politics, some men students said, even as women raised even more placards in protest.

Leyaqat Khan, who is contesting for the post of president of the students' union, told TOI, "On the one hand, candidates stand on the podium and speak of the protection of women and their dignity. They get off the podium and then hand the women flags. This is just against the ethos of this campus, and against Muslim culture."

Although around 10,000 women are enrolled at the university, only one woman is contesting the students' union elections.

On the day she filed her nomination papers, Kehkashan Khanam, the sole woman candidate, said, "It is difficult to contest here. If a woman contests, the general belief is that some politician is patronizing her."

"Women students face suppression at AMU . It came as no surprise that just waving a flag outside the Union Hall was made such an issue. Some said it was against the tradition of the university. 'Tradition' is used as an excuse to suppress women. Why should they not be allowed to wave flags? Why should they not vocally support a candidate? For some groups, participation of women in politics is an aberration," a student said, asking that her name not be used.

Abdullah Azzam, a candidate for the post of AMUSU president, said, "This is really unfortunate. Protests over women holding up flags is also about curtailing political rights."

Shadab Bano of the history department of AMU Women's College said, "It is commendable, how women have come out with these posters. Some people don't want women in public spaces. Whenever students have taken out marches on serious issues, women too have joined the protests. But each time a memorandum was read, the women were asked to leave. When girls protest that they want to be present while memoranda are read, the response is just ridiculous: 'This is not JNU or DU', they are told."

"Even in the time of the Prophet, women raised flags during wars. Who are these men now to suppress us? Why has it become so hard for the men to digest the fact that women can give them some competition?" an angry woman student said, asking not to be named.

: ‘It is not a sin for a girl to wave a flag’; Nobody can question my freedom of expression,’; ‘The hypocrites who call me sister and then challenge my freedom need to know I am not a fool’ read posters that women students at Aligarh Muslim University hold up, in a bid to protect their rights.

Some men on campus have raised their voices against women in burqas holding up placards, claiming it is not Islamic. Women better stay off campus politics, some men students say, even as women raise even more placards in protest.

Leyaqat Khan, who is contesting for the post of president of the students’ union, said, “On the one hand, candidates stand on the podium and speak of the protection of women and their dignity. They get off the podium and then hand the women flags. This is just against the ethos of this campus, and against Muslim culture.”

Although around 10,000 women are enrolled at the university, only one woman is contesting the students’ union elections, set to be held on Wednesday.

On the day she filed her nomination papers, Kehkashan Khanam, the sole woman candidate, told TOI, “It is difficult to contest here. If a woman contests, the general belief is that some politician is patronizing her.”

“Women students face suppression at AMU. It came as no surprise that just waving a flag outside the Union Hall was made such an issue. Some said it was against the tradition of the university. ‘Tradition’ is used as an excuse to suppress women. Why should they not be allowed to wave flags? Why should they not vocally support a candidate? For some groups, participation of women in politics is an aberration,” a student said, asking that her name not be used.

Abdullah Azzam, a candidate for the post of AMUSU president, said, “This is really unfortunate. Protests over women holding up flags is also about curtailing political rights.”

Shadab Bano of the history department of AMU Women’s College said, “It is commendable, how women have come out with these posters. Some people don’t want women in public spaces. Whenever students have taken out marches on serious issues, women too have joined the protests. But each time a memorandum was read, the women were asked to leave. When girls protest that they want to be present while memoranda are read, the response is just ridiculous: ‘This is not JNU or DU’, they are told.”

“Even in the time of the Prophet, women raised flags during wars. Who are these men now to suppress us? Why has it become so hard for the men to digest the fact that women can give them some competition?” an angry woman student said, asking not to be named.

