Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
| Founded | 2011[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Focus | Women Empowerment, Poverty Reduction |
| Location | |
Area served | Uttar Pradesh India |
Key people | Zakia Soman, Noorjehan Safia Niaz |
| Website | https://bmmaindia.com/ |
Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan or BMMA ('Indian Muslim Women's Movement') is an autonomous, secular, rights-based mass organization led by Zakia Soman which fights for the citizenship rights of the Muslim women in India.[1] The BMMA was formed in January 2011.[1] The organisation is based in Mumbai.[2]
Over 30,000 members have been enrolled in the BMMA in 15 states, over the past six years.
BMMA conducted a Study[3][4][5] of Muslim women’s views on reforms in Muslim personal law— 'Seeking Justice Within the Family' across 10 states that revealed that an overwhelming 82% [6] of the over 4,000 women who were surveyed had no property in their name and that 78% were home makers with no income of their own.
“It is quite revealing that 95.5% poor women had not even heard of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, yet the government and the people go by the decisions taken by these self-proclaimed leaders of the Muslim community,’’ said Zakia Soman, co-founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan.
The BMMA demanded a ban on the practice of 'Triple Talaq' (verbal divorce).[7] It also petitioned the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Muslim Personal Law.[8] Eventually, Triple talaq in India was banned. On 30 July 2019, the Parliament of India declared the practice of Triple Talaq illegal and unconstitutional and made it a punishable act from 1 August 2019.[9] BMMA has backed Hindu women in the Shani Shingnapur Temple row.[10] It released a draft on June 23, 2014, 'Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act' recommending that polygamy be made illegal in the Muslim Personal Law of India.[11] BMMA also challenged the restrictions on women’s entry into the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali Dargah of Mumbai, and on 26 August 2016 after a three year legal battle, the Bombay High Court, allowed women entry and termed the ban unconstitutional.[12]
Noorjehan Safia Niaz, co-founder of the Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) does not support practices such as the hijab and believes that instances where complete strangers — young and old men, and once a younger woman — walk up to her in public and question her choice of dressing with impunity and audacity, violate her personal space.[13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "About". Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ Hasan Suroor (6 January 2014). India's Muslim Spring. Rupa Publications. p. 52. ISBN 978-81-291-3164-5.
- ^ Dhar, Aarti. "Muslim Women Want Reforms in Personal Laws, Study Reveals". The Wire. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ "Muslim Women's Views on Muslim Personal Law". Economic and Political Weekly. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ "Muslim women to mullahs: We are here, reform personal law or else… - Firstpost". Firstpost. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ "89% Muslim women want government hand in codification of law: Study | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ "Ban 'triple talaq', says Muslim women's group". ABP Live. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ "Muslim women petition PM on personal law - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ "'Historic' day as India outlaws 'triple talaq' Islamic instant divorce". The Guardian.
- ^ "United for a cause: Muslim group backs Hindu women in Shani Shingnapur temple row". CatchNews.com. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
- ^ The Hindu. No second wife, please
- ^ "Noorjehan Safia Niaz: Mumbai Heroes". Mumbai Mirror. 2017.
- ^ Kohli, Namita (2022-03-04). "I can see the pitfalls of supporting practices such as hijab: Noorjehan Safia Niaz". The Hindu. Retrieved 2022-03-27.