archive: Muslim women's forum ploughs a lonely furrough
Muslim women's forum ploughs a lonely furrough
P.K. Surendran
The Times of India
July 13, 1999
Title: Muslim women's forum ploughs a lonely furrough
Author: P.K. Surendran
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 13, 1999
Two years after 'Nissah' was born, it lies emaciated. Nissah, a
progressive Muslim women's forum, was the first bid of divorced Muslim
women to stand up and yell for their rights.
A group of "thinking Muslim women" had gathered at Mancheri in
Malappuram district on June 16 in 1997 and floated Nissah, which in
Arabic means, woman.
V.P. Suhara, the woman who dared the might of the mullahs, is sad that
she has only a handful of friends now, and her pet organisation
ploughs a lonely furrough with threats to her life popping up from
every corner.
"I used to get nasty phone calls in my old residence. I have shifted
the house. Now I get mails declaring Jehad against me and my
venture," she says.
Living alone near the collectorate of Kozhikode, Ms Suhara however
says, threat of death would not dissuade her notwithstanding her adult
wards' pleas to give up.
Nissah, formed by some six Muslim women divorcees, had drawn up a
formidable agenda for it.
The 10-point list of action included amendment to the Personal Law,
which it identified as the chief villain for the Muslim women's
misery. The Law, they concluded, denies the woman equality in every
sphere of life.
The other points inter alia were prevention of child marriage, which
though legally banned, are prevalent in the Muslim-dominated Malabar
area, and making compulsory, registration of all marriages.
The Nissah had also called for immediate ban of "mutta" (a contract
system) of marriage where rich Muslim men weds a girl (mostly a poor
one) for a temporary period.
Coming out strongly against the mutta system, the Nissah leaders, S.
Bibi and Suhara, said at a news conference at Kochi in September last
that the system was widely prevalent in Mattacherry area of Ernakulam
district.
They said the system left the poor girls with a couple of kids who
eventually landed in orphan-ages.
Nissah, admitted its leaders, had under-rated the strength of the
obscurantism. The organisation had received much support from various
parts of the country.
Even the radical Muslim leader Sayed Sahabuddin had showed keen
interest in Nissah's activity.
But locally the organisation found terribly isolated owing to the fear
of the priesthood and leadership of the community.
"Political parties have chosen not to have noted the organisation," Ms
Suhara said, adding, "They are worried about the vote bank. Backing
us will bring them no electoral gains, Hence, the apathy."
But, the fight, like the show, must go on, she says philosophically.
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