By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net,
Malappuram: While calling upon Muslim women to come forward to effectively utilize the 50% reservation in local self government institutions, the women’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) today demanded re-codification of Muslim Personal Laws such that they cannot be misused.
“Women should come forward to effectively utilize the 50% reservation in local self government institutions,” said KK Fathima Suhra, state president of JIH’s women’s wing while presiding over the state Women’s Conference organized by JIH at Kuttippuram in Malappuram district of Kerala. “Muslim scholars should re-codify the personal laws such that they cannot be misused. The Muslim community should be ready to provide women their real space in Islam,” she added.
Women have a way to go forward and no priesthood can prevent them from their onward move, said T Arifali, state Amir of JIH Kerala. Social revolution is impossible without the participation of women who comprise half of the society, said PV Rahmabi, state vice-president of the women’s wing.
Earlier inaugurating the Women’s Conference Yvonne Ridley, famous British journalist and human rights activist, said: Muslim women are showing their strength in spirituality and worldly matters and nobody can now avoid their unique collective force.
Jamaa’t-e-Islami Kerala Amir Mr. T. Arifali addresses Kerala Woman Conferece
Miss Ridley said that the new world order created by imperialism and Zionism has become a global threat. The existence of the world will be stable only by recognizing and defeating it. The backwardness of women will adversely affect social development. Ridley recollected the experience that peace activists faced in Cairo when they tried to express solidarity with the suffering people of Gaza. The activists followed the Gandhian strategy of peaceful protest but were beaten up and harassed.
Ridley expressed her disappointment in denying her visa to enter the country of Gandhi. She added that some forces were trying to damage the good image of democratic India in the world. Having denied visa to enter the country, Ridley addressed the conference via video conference from London. A Rahmatunnisa translated the speech into Malayalam.
Jamaa’t-e-Islami Kerala Women Chief Ms. K.K. Zuhra addresses Conference
Athiyya Siddiqui, national president of JIH’s women’s wing, Adv Noorbina Rasheed, state secretary of Women’s League, Sauda Padanna, state committee member of JIH women’s wing, Raheena KK, state president of Girls Islamic Organisation, and KK Safiyya Sharafiya, state committee member of JIH women’s wing, spoke.
The conference which raised the slogan ‘Women power for social revolution’ passed four resolutions which demanded to make modifications in reservation and women’s reservation, to be in the forefront against dowry, to codify the Muslim Personal Laws and to reclaim ethical and moral values.
The conference which was organised wholly by women began at 4 pm on the banks of River Nila at Kuttippuram in Malappuram. Around one lakh women attended the conference which was the first of its kind in the state. The namaz of Maghrib and Isha at the time of Maghrib showed the discipline and unity of the women who joined together at the conference. The audience was entertained by a few Islamic songs by young girls.