Bhakti Chalak

A two-day conference aimed at addressing discriminatory practices affecting Muslim women, including polygamy, oral talaq and halala, was recently held in Hyderabad. The initiative was jointly organised by the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal and the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA).

The event brought together Muslim women activists, social reformers, intellectuals and community leaders, who called for reforms in Muslim personal laws and greater protection of women's rights.

A special session was held for Muslim women from Old Hyderabad in collaboration with the local Muslim Mahila Mandal. Many women from the area continue to live under conservative social norms, and the organisers engaged with them on issues such as discriminatory provisions in personal laws, patriarchal attitudes and the injustices they face in everyday life.

Women during a counselling session

The participants strongly opposed oral talaq and polygamy and pledged to stand against these practices and other forms of injustice. They also launched a signature campaign to mobilise more women against what they described as anti-women practices carried out in the name of religion.

During the session, Dr Benazir Tamboli, Noorjehan Safia Niaz and Dr Zarina Khan encouraged the women to speak openly about their experiences and made them aware of their legal and constitutional rights.

The conference also featured a seminar attended by intellectuals, social activists, journalists, professors, writers and representatives of various organisations. It was organised by Shaikh Yousuf Baba (Sky Baba), the founder of the Duniyadari Muslim Sudharnavadi Chalwal in Hyderabad, under the leadership of Mohammed Waheed of the Casteless Society of India.

Explaining the rationale behind the campaign, Sky Baba said, "Our primary objective is to garner mass support for the issues of reform."

He referred to the research conducted by Dr Noorjehan Safia Niaz and Dr Zarina Khan of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, published as the book Breaking the Silence, which examines the impact of polygamy on Muslim women.

Drawing on the findings of the study, Dr Noorjehan Safia Niaz explained how polygamy has devastated the lives of many Muslim women. Dr. Zarina Khan cited data from the research to argue that a large majority of Muslim women in India oppose polygamy and support a common family law for all citizens.

Dr. Benazir Tamboli of the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal cited examples of legal reforms in several Muslim-majority countries. She said nations such as Tunisia, Turkey, Bangladesh and neighbouring Pakistan have amended their laws to strengthen the rights of Muslim women by banning oral talaq, restricting polygamy and prohibiting practices such as halala.

Questioning the lack of similar reforms in India, Dr. Tamboli asked why, when Muslims across the world were moving forward, Indian Muslim women continued to face what she described as medieval injustices in the name of personal law.

Nabab Altafhusen of the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal also underlined the importance of protecting the rights of Muslim women.

Targeting organisations that oppose reform, Shamsuddin Tamboli said, "Whether it's Hindutva organizations, Muslim fundamentalist organizations, or common citizens, they all have a prejudiced perspective of women’s issues. By taking the stance that all problems will be solved if we return to original Islam, the fundamentalists sidestep the core issue. On the other hand, attempts are made to postpone reforms by arguing that similar problems exist in other religions as well."

Tamboli, along with Zakia Soman, Noorjehan Safia Niaz and Javed, has jointly filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the extension of anti-bigamy laws to Muslims as well. The petition has been taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, which has issued notices to the Central Government and other concerned institutions.

The two-day programme received an enthusiastic response, with hundreds of men and women voluntarily participating in the signature campaign against polygamy and oral talaq.

The organisers said the movement aims to take the message of social reform directly to the people through dialogue and public engagement. Following the Hyderabad programme, they plan to organise similar meetings and seminars in different states to strengthen the campaign for the legal rights of Muslim women.

The Duniyadari Muslim Sudharnavadi Chalwal, founded by intellectuals and social activists in Telangana, seeks to promote positive social reforms within the Muslim community. Its work focuses on modern education, religious harmony, women's rights and constitutional values. The organisation believes that religion should remain a matter of personal faith, while public life should be guided by secular and constitutional principles.

The movement brings together writers, journalists, professors, teachers and professionals. It also advocates the inclusion of modern subjects in madrasa education and works in collaboration with other social organisations. Shaikh Yousuf Baba (Sky Baba) is the chief promoter of the movement.

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The Muslim Mahila Mandal, another key participant in the initiative, works extensively among grassroots women in Old Hyderabad. It provides counselling and legal guidance to resolve family disputes and runs programmes on women's education, skill development, human rights awareness and vocational training to help women become economically and socially self-reliant.