In this book the authors have tried to fill up the pages of feminist history with the voices of Muslim women through their own lenses and their own voices. This collection of memoirs is meant to highlight the leadership potential and impact of a Muslim woman, her agency, her education, her fierce commitment and her fearlessness in the face of adversity. It is meant to create a historical record for future generations to inspire them and to educate them about the legacy that they have inherited. It is also meant to inspire more and more women to take up the charge of themselves, their community and their country.
The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan was formed in January 2007 at a national conference in Delhi attended by 500 women from different parts of the country. It is a democratic organisation of Muslim women, led by Muslim women, and which strives for the citizenship rights of all and particularly Muslim women. The BMMA believes in the values of equality, justice, and fairness enshrined in the Holy Quran as well as the Constitution of India. In its 16th year, it’s membership has crossed one lakh across 15 states. BMMA believes in democracy and secularism as propounded by the Constitution of India. We believe peace and justice to be the fundamental tenets of Islam. We oppose the denial of women’s rights in society and strive to build Muslim women’s leadership across the country. We work on the issues of education, livelihood, health, security, and law reform. We are opposed to communalism and violence and believe in communal harmony, mutual respect, and religious co-existence.
Nobody imagined that a democratic struggle by ordinary Muslim women would hit patriarchy at its core and yield a great step forward towards gender justice. The Haji Ali Case not only challenged the patriarchy within the Muslim community but it also created space for an alternative voice which was desperately trying to speak the language of equality, justice, and democracy. This struggle created space for an open debate on womens rights and religion. A Muslim woman is a world citizen today. She has all the right to lead the change not just for herself or her community but for all humankind. This book captures the struggle to reclaim sacred spaces from patriarchal forces and hopes to inspire other similar movements led by women.
This book is a timely study on the status of Muslim women in polygamous marriages and reinforces the need for legislative protection of Muslim women. While the other religious communities enjoy the benefits of comprehensively codified family laws, Muslim women are without the protection of a law. Polygamy is an affront to a woman's dignity and a man must know that he cannot get away with it under the garb of religion. This book also looks into the impact of polygamy on the mental health of women and actually calls for more in-depth study on this aspect for women of all communities who face a polygamous husband. We hope that this publication will intensify Muslim women's call for ending polygamy.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.