Muslim leaders call on legal action against ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’

BizAsiaLive.com recently reported that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused to certify Prakash Jha’s ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’, and now a group of Muslim leaders want to ban the film for being controversial and hurting the community’s religious sentiments.

According to the Hindustan Times, the All India Muslim Tehwar Committee in Bhopal met with chairman Ausaf Shahmeeri Khurram to also discuss taking legal action against the film.

Khurram said that no one had the right to talk about a “sensitive issue” like the burkha, which is the choice of a Muslim woman if she wants to wear one. “If somebody peeps into the burkha worn by our sisters and daughters, we won’t remain silent. Burkha is an Islamic tradition, and nobody has the right to talk about it in a negative way,” he said.

Khurram continued to say the “tradition of burkha” was not limited entirely to Muslim women because women in different parts of India also have a choice to cover their faces. “Even Hindu women in various parts of the country – including Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh – opt for parda dhari (using a veil to cover the face). In such circumstances, why should they focus only on us with regard to such a sensitive, personal matter?”

The chairman and majilis-e-shura has urged the country’s 24-crore Muslim population to also boycott the movie. “We also plan to take legal action against the filmmakers. We are talking to lawyers and collecting documents related to the movie,” he added.

Khurram did however thank the CBFC for delaying the release of the film.  “They have done the right thing. They should not allow public viewing of this film at any cost.”

Produced by Jha and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ has caused a lot of controversy because the film revolves around four women – a burkha-clad college student, a young beautician, a mother of three and a 55-year-old widow who rediscovers her sexuality.