Muslim Women In India

This Book Throws Light On The Various Situations Which Colour The Profile Of Indian Muslim Women. The Authors Have Taken Care Of The Past And Present Conditions Of Muslim Women. As A Result, A Social Forecast For Their Future Is Possible. Historical Perspective Is A Unique Feature Of This Book, Especially As The Subsequent Chapters On Socio-Economic Perspectives Of The Contemporary Situation Create A Linkage Between The Past And The Present. Another Innovative Feature Is A Paper On The Participation Of Muslim Women In Panchayati Raj. Two Papers Have Also Been Devoted To Legal Problems And Muslim Personal Law. The Approach Of These Papers Include A Deep Sensitivity Of The Authors Towards The Sufferings Of Muslim Women Without Diluting The Objectivity.The Book Will Be Equally Useful For Academicians, Women Activists And Grassroot Workers.

This report locates the political, socio-economic and legal position of Muslim women within a historical framework, beginning with the evolution of Islam in India and its subsequent interaction with Indian society. It emphasizes the diversity of women in Muslim communities and the range of factors influencing their status. Kazi traces the developments in discourses of gender vis-à-vis Muslim women from the late nineteenth century to the present day, and describes Muslim women's transition from being British subjects to Indian citizens. Muslim women's contributions within the women's movement are outlined, as well as the challenges they face as members of India's largest religious minority community.

Living in pluralist India has had critical consequences for Muslim women who are expected to follow a determined and strict code of conduct. The impact of this contradiction is most evident in the continuing denial of gender equality within the family, as state regulation of gender roles in the private sphere ultimately affects the status of women in the public sphere. Reclaiming the Nation examines the relationship between gender and nation in post-colonial India through the lens of marginalized Muslim women. Drawing on feminist legal theory, postcolonial feminist theory, and critical race theory, Vrinda Narain explores the idea of citizenship as a potential vehicle for the emancipation of Muslim women. Citizenship, Narain argues, opens the possibility for Indian women to reclaim a sense of selfhood free from imposed identities. In promoting the hybridity of culture and the modernity of tradition, Narain shows how oppositional categories such as public versus private, Muslim versus feminist, and Western versus Indian have been used to deny women equal rights. A timely account of the struggle for liberation within a restrictive religious framework, Reclaiming the Nation is an insightful look at gender, nationhood, and the power of self-determination.

In order to broaden the lens through which Muslim women are typically seen, a group of researchers in India carried out a large and unprecedented study of one of the most disadvantaged sections of Indian society. The editors of The Diversity of Muslim Women's Lives in India bring together this research in a comprehensive collection of informative and revealing case studies.

The book begins with the changing status of Muslim women and goes on to analyse the evolution of shari a the canon law of Islam and its interpretation in today s social context. Other problems dealt with include the controversial aspects of Muslim divorce laws in India, as compared with the changing legislation related to talaq in other Islamic countries.

Despite the fact that Muslim Women are among the most backward sections of Indian Society, they have not received adequate attention of the Government, social workers and academicians. Lack of education, poverty, economic dependency and ignorance of their rights have made them more vulnerable to exploitation. There is, therefore, an acute need to undertake researchers in order to identity problems specific to Muslim women and delineate the causes of their backwardness. This Volume includes papers presented by prominent contributors at a seminar, MUSLIM WOMEN : Problems and Prospects, held at the Aligarh Muslim University Women's College in 1990 and covers a wide range of subjects, such as legal nutrition, employment prospects, education, politics and role of media.

The marginalisation of Muslims in India has recently been the subject of heated public debate. In these discussions, however, Muslim women are often either overlooked or treated as a homogenous group with a common set of interests. Focusing on the narratives of women living in a predominantly Muslim colony in South Delhi, this book attempts to demonstrate the complexity of their lives and the multiple levels of insecurity they face. Unlike other studies on Indian Muslims that focus on Islam as a defining factor, this book highlights the ways in which religious identity intersects with other identities including class/status, regional affiliation and gender. The author also sheds light on the impact of such events as the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 and the subsequent riots, the Gujarat communal carnage in 2002, and the anti-Sikh violence in New Delhi in 1984, along with the rise of Hindutva, and growing Islamophobia experienced worldwide in the post-9/11 period — on the articulation of identities at the local level and increasing religion-based spatial segregation in Indian cities. The study highlights how these incidents combine in different ways to increase the sense of marginalisation experienced by Muslims at the level of the locality. Understanding the need to look beyond preconceived religious categories, this book will serve as essential reading for those interested in sociology, anthropology, gender, religious and urban studies, as well as policymakers and organisations concerned with issues related to religious minorities in India.