The Diversity Of Muslim Women S Lives In India

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.

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.

Authors from a variety of disciplines assess the issues facing women in Muslim societies not only in the Middle East but also in Africa and Asia. They stress the importance of historical context, local customs and policies in defining the status of Muslim women, and examine how women are coping with challenges such as modernity and conservative reaction.

This survey based study of Muslim women in India seeks to dispel popular misperceptions and stereotypes regarding their status, as well as seriously engage with academic debates on gender and Islam.

These issues are significant not only for Muslim women in India, but also in the broader context of the accommodation of cultural diversity in pluralist democracies."--BOOK JACKET.

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.

Do Muslim Women Need Saving? is an indictment of a mindset that has justified all manner of foreign interference, including military invasion, in the name of rescuing women from Islam. It offers a detailed, moving portrait of the actual experiences of ordinary Muslim women, and of the contingencies with which they live.

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.