Muslim female lawyer barred from Mumbai hospital over burqa
Woman says hospital staff linked her religious clothing to child theft and demanded she remove it, prompting threats of legal action and political outrage
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim lawyer in India has threatened legal action after she was barred from entering a maternity ward at a government-run hospital in Mumbai because she was wearing a burqa, triggering fresh controversy over restrictions on Islamic clothing in public institutions.
Jahan Ara said she was stopped outside the maternity ward at Cooper Hospital and told that women wearing burqas were not permitted inside. She alleged that staff continued to deny her entry even after she identified herself as a lawyer and asked why her clothing was prohibited.
According to Ara, hospital staff told her the restriction was linked to concerns about babies being stolen by people concealing their identities under burqas.
Ara challenged the explanation, arguing that crimes inside hospitals had involved people wearing different types of clothing and that singling out the burqa unfairly portrayed Muslim women as a security threat.
“If there is a thief, take action against the thief,” she said, arguing that authorities could conduct security checks rather than impose restrictions based on religious clothing.
Ara said she would pursue legal action if the hospital administration did not apologize. She also said she planned to visit other hospitals operated by Mumbai’s civic authorities to determine whether similar restrictions were being imposed on burqa-wearing women.
The allegation has sparked a political dispute, with opposition politician Abu Asim Azmi of the Samajwadi Party describing the incident as part of increasing pressure on Muslims over their religious practices.
Azmi said hospitals had legitimate security concerns but argued they could be addressed without forcing Muslim women to remove their religious clothing publicly.
He suggested hospitals establish private screening areas staffed by female security personnel, allowing women wearing burqas to have their identities verified and undergo security checks without being denied access.
The dispute comes amid recurring controversies in India over Muslim women’s clothing. Burqa and hijab restrictions have previously generated disputes at educational institutions, examinations and other public facilities, while similar allegations involving access to government hospitals have surfaced in Delhi and Jaipur.
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