For a woman to go for Hajj without mehram is a purely religious issue, it is not something you can pass a legislati… https://t.co/QLySgERPjb — ANI (@ANI) 1514801329000

NEW DELHI: A day after PM Narendra Modi announced the removal of restriction on women who go for Haj without a male guardian, All India Muslim Personal Law Board ( AIMPLB ) secretary Maulana Abdul Hamid Azhari said that the Haj is a religious issue, which cannot be decided by a legislation.On Sunday, the Prime Minister, while addressing the nation in his monthly radio address ' Mann Ki Baat ', had said that his government has removed the discriminatory practice where Muslim women were required to travel for Haj only in the company of ' mahram ', or male guardian.Azhari's criticism was seconded by another member of the AIMPLB, Khalid Saif Ullah Rehmanai ."She will be safe and secure if accompanied by ‘mahram’. However this is my personal view," Rehmanai said.AIMPLB's objection came close on the heels of a similar criticism raised by Hyderabad-based seminary, Jamia Nizamia.Anwar Ahmed who is a professor in the seminary suggested that the government should, instead, empower the Muslim women through education."Instead of focusing on such issues, the central government should introduce some initiatives like education schemes that will help the Muslim women in real sense, Will the government take of our women in ‘mahram’ does not go with them?" He had asked.The organisation also said that the decision to allow women to travel without a male escort is against Sharia Rule."According to the Sharia, if a women wants to perform Haj, it should be done in the company of ‘mahram’. If women perform Haj without ‘mahram’ it means that they are not following Sharia," said Obedullah from Jamia Nizamia.AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the PM for wrongfully taking the credit for the relaxation on the ban."It is the Saudi Haj authorities that have allowed any Muslim women above 45 years from any country without a ‘mahram’ to do Haj. It does not behove the PM to take credit for what a foreign government has done," he said.According to the ministry of minority affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without 'mahram' in a group of at least four.