Islamic Scholar Had Said That Women Shouldn’t Work And Stay In The House
Mumbai, 14th September 2026: The Harmony Foundation, under the leadership of Dr. Abraham Mathai, today strongly condemned Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for travelling all the way to Kerala to meet a radical Islamic scholar who recently declared that women’s public appearances will cause “great destruction” and that women should stay at home and not work.
The fact that the Prime Minister of Malaysia travelled all the way to Kerala specifically to meet this individual is not a diplomatic courtesy. It is a deliberate endorsement of views that are regressive, misogynistic, and fundamentally incompatible with the values of a modern, progressive society. This was not a meeting on the sidelines of a summit or an accidental encounter. He made the journey for this purpose.
The Harmony Foundation finds it deeply shameful that a Prime Minister who claims to champion moderation and reform would travel across continents to sit down with a man who advocates for the exclusion of women from public life. This meeting is a legitimization of extremism and a betrayal of the women of Malaysia and the world.
This is especially troubling given that Malaysia continues to harbour Zakir Naik, a fugitive preacher of hate who has been banned in several countries and is wanted in India for spreading enmity and hatred between religious communities. That Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government has failed to act on India’s extradition request for Zakir Naik, while simultaneously travelling to Kerala to meet a scholar who echoes similarly regressive views, reveals a pattern of appeasement towards extremist elements.
Dr. Abraham Mathai, Founder Chairman of Harmony Foundation and former Vice Chairman of the States Minorities Commission, Maharashtra, said, “”It is a shame that the Prime Minister of Malaysia would travel all the way to Kerala to meet with a man who says women should not work, that their public presence will cause destruction. What kind of leadership is this? What kind of signal does this send to the women of Malaysia, to the youth, to the world? This is not moderation. This is not reform. This is a betrayal of the very values that Malaysia claims to uphold.”
He further added, “Anwar Ibrahim has been portrayed as a liberal reformer. But actions speak louder than words. When you travel across the world to sit with those who would silence women, you become complicit in their agenda. When you continue to shelter Zakir Naik, a man whose poison has led to bloodshed, you cannot claim to have zero tolerance for terrorism.”
The Harmony Foundation calls upon the international community to take note of this disturbing development. We urge the Malaysian government to stop paying lip service to moderation and to take concrete action against those who spread hatred and division. We also urge Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to publicly clarify his position on women’s rights and to distance himself from those who seek to roll back the progress that women have fought for across the world.
At a time when the world is seeking peace and harmony, such actions only deepen divisions and set a dangerous precedent.