A Call for Change: India needs a debate on how to empower Muslim Women

Allah ta’ala ne aurat ko bhi insaan banaaya hai, words spoken by a young Muslim woman from Mumbai, are simply a statement of a person of faith about her own creation. It is a comment on

the inequality that women are subjected to, how they are made to feel subhuman, a commodity to be consumed and includes a firm belief of the speaker that there is inherent justice in this narrative of creation of a woman in human form and a complaint that this justice has been subverted.

Muslim women have mostly been discussed as passive victims who have no agency. They often suffer from stifling suppression and overt violence that not only leaves its marks on the human body and material aspects of life, but also impacts the mind and the self of the affected.

Hence, it’s vital to encourage Muslim women to speak out to this unjust neglect and discrimination. After all, who understands a situation better than those who are living it and who would propose better solutions to problems than those who are suffering stultifying oppression in their everyday lives?

‘Muslim Women Speak’ by Ghazala Jamil is a recent publication by SAGE that discusses an expansive canvas of dreams, aspirations, memory and everyday lives of Muslim women.  Through a presentation and analysis of Indian Muslim women’s narratives about their own situation, the book challenges the image of Muslim women as historic victims of Islam and Muslim men. The book includes insights on the agency of young Muslim women and the impact of violence on their everyday lives after a violent ‘event’ or ‘episode’ passes into history and memory. It brings forth not only the ‘voices’ that have long been considered ‘silent’ but also dwells upon the epistemological and socio-political concerns of this ‘silencing’.

To delve more into the various possibilities of just and humane world that treats Muslim women as equal human beings, grab your copy of the book today at an exclusive 20% discount. Write to us at marketing@sagepub.in with code SM20.