In an act of moral policing, a Muslim woman was kicked out of a mobile store by its Muslim owner for wearing jeans and not wearing a burqa on Monday (October 25). The incident took place in Biswanath Chariali city in Biswanath district in Assam.
The mobile store owner has been identified as Nurul Amin. Reportedly, the young woman had gone to his store, which is located at his residence, in Biswanath’s 12 no. ward to buy a new pair of headphones. On seeing that the girl, a computer science student at the Bishwanath College, was wearing jeans and not a burqa, Amin started to insult her. He slammed her for wearing jeans and not wearing Burqa, and alleged that she is spoiling the environment of his house where his daughters-in-law are there.
He said that all women in his house wear Burqa and Hijab, and asked how she dared to enter his house wearing jeans. The girl said that Amin went on to call her a characterless woman and a ‘prostitute’ for not wearing Islamic attire and wearing jeans. She retorted by saying that her kurta and jeans are not indecent attire, and nobody in her village have said anything about her attire. She also told him that he has no right to comment on her dress. Hearing this, Nurul Amin pushed her out of his house, prioritising burqa over a potential sale.
While speaking about the incident, the woman recounted, “I went to his house to buy a pair of earphones. I was shocked to see him yelling at me, rebuking me. At first I was not able to comprehend what was the issue. He then lashed out at me and said that I shouldn’t be wearing jeans.”
“I wear all kinds of clothes including Salawar kameez, jeans, dresses etc. I am not saying that wearing a burqa or hijab is something bad yet he has no right to enforce anything on me. My clothes do not define my character”, she further added.
Three days later on October 28th, two sons of Nurul Amin thrashed the girl’s father after they spotted him on the road. When her father Ayub Khan was going to the market on a bicycle, Nurul Amin’s two sons Rafiqul Islam and Sahidul Islam pulled him down from the bicycle and thrashed him badly. Ayub Khan said that the two sons kicked and punched him several times, broke his glasses on the road. Ayub Khan said that Nurul Amin is trying to impose Talibani style of Islam, which will not be accepted.
Following the incident, a complaint was lodged by the girl’s family over the incident. Based on this, an FIR has been registered against them under sections 341/294/323/34 of the Indian Penal Code. Rafiqul Islam and Sahidul Islam, sons of the Nurl Amin, have been arrested for beating the girl’s father, and a probe has been started in the case. On the other hand, Nuril Amin has also filed a counter-complaint against Ayub Khan.
As per reports, the store owner has a history of verbally abusing women for not wearing Islamic attire. He is originally from the Nagaon district and has been staying at a rented house in Biswanath.