Islamic scholars agree that women can become judges, says former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

He said this in a tweet, after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih nominated Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Aisha Shujoon Mohamed for the two new posts opened at the Supreme Court bench.

While some have expressed outrage over religious reasons, former President Gayoom said that early and contemporary scholars have stated that women are allowed to be appointed as judges in Islam.

He named Al-Tabari, Ibn Hazm, and Hasanul Basri as early scholars and Yusuf al-Qaradhawi, Abdul Kareem Zaidan, Saeed Ramadan as contemporary scholars who have supported women filling roles as judges.

Aisha Shujoon Mohamed was appointed Maldives’ first female judge in 2007 during Gayoom’s administration and another female judge was appointed later that year.

Currently, there is one female judge at the Family Court, and two female judges at the Civil Court. There are also women in the Kulhudhuffushi and Fuvahmulah magistrate court benches.