Abusaleh Shariff explodes the myth of Muslims doing better under Modi ruleMuslim women education in Kerala: My mom and I, then and now
Submitted by admin4 on 5 April 2010 - 4:43pm
By Aaliya Rushdi, TwoCircles.net,
I have often heard my mother saying that at her time, Muslim girls were not allowed to go out of the house when they grew up. They were assigned kitchen and groomed to be a wife and a ‘model woman’ at their in-laws’ house. So, they would not study beyond 5th or 6th class. Girls who learned up to 10th were rare at that time. But then, my grandmother would say that at her time, no girl was sent to school at all. They were given some religious lessons at home and there ended their journey of education. But that was then. Today parents are spending, with pleasure, lots of money on higher education of their daughters.
Sad part of the story is that no girl or woman would ever complain on this. They were happy with the life they lived, because they never knew about the sweetness of education. They kept on believing that the role of the women is only to take care of the family and nothing else. She is not meant to acquire knowledge of the world.
But gradually this thinking began changing. Women got to understand that they should not be deprived of education. They realised that they also have the right to learn and acquire on things as high as sky. So, with this idea they began to move forward in the field of education.
Over 50% of Muslim women in India are illiterate today -- literacy being officially defined rather generously to include just about anyone who can read and write a sentence or two. The situation in the northern states, especially in rural areas, is said to be particularly dismal. About 85% of rural north Indian Muslim women are unable to read or write. On the other hand, the situation in the south, especially in urban areas, was found to be considerably better, with 88% urban south Indian women said to be literate.
In Kerala, according to Census 2001, the literacy rate of Muslims was 89.4%, much higher than the national average of 64.8%. The Muslim male literacy rate there is 93.7% while female literacy rate is 85.5%.
The revolution in Kerala did not come in one day. Islamic reformist movements in Kerala, from the late nineteenth century onwards, have played a key role in bridging the sharp dualism between the ulema and the 'modern'-educated class, in promoting 'modern' as well as religious education, including women's education. They have set up thousands of institutions that cater to the community—not just madrasas and mosques, as in much of north India, but also schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, industrial centres, banks, newspapers and so on. In this way, the ulema in Kerala have played a more socially engaged role than their counterparts in the north as far as community work is concerned, says Yoginder Sikand analyzing difference of development in Kerala and north India.
But the change is also attributed to the change of perception of women about themselves. The girls understood the real value of education. The parents, most of them illiterate, began to think that their daughter should get the advantage they were deprived of. Girls also began to be aware on the importance of education. And this led to the modern situation where girls today fill more than half of the allotted seats in many of the reputed colleges. Like men, women also have an idea about their future life. They also have planned for their life.
“Unlike the earlier ages, now girls take education seriously. They also are in the run to make a well planned and well set life as that of the men folk,” says Wajeeha, a student of BDS at a private college in Malappuram district.
“At our time parents would start searching for a suitable groom for the girl by the time she was 15. But nowadays, girls decide their lives themselves. This freedom will give them the ability to face life boldly,” Jameela, a homemaker, says.
Not only this, the aspiration of educated women folk has also changed as far as career is concerned. Earlier they would think of only teaching job after getting higher education. They would think there was no other job which suits a girl. This sort of thinking has also been kept aside by the modern generation.
“In our college everyone has different aims in life. One wants to become doctor, another a call centre executive, one another a journalist and so on goes the list. I myself aim at being a speech therapist,” Jaleesa, an engineering student, says.
Not only the aim of education, the modern girl has really got a clear cut idea of her life, the way she should live it.
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after a degree why a lady
after a degree why a lady think she is great and more than man?
why she thinks marrying a good boy with good decent money (40k)is not important than marrying a rich guy?
Importance of Women Education
It will take time this is not work of one or two days.
Distance Learning University in delhi
religious harmony
Muslims in kerala realised the fact, that is education is very important, years ago most of muslims in kerala were not that educated compared to hindus and christians, they applied for passport once they reached 18 years of age and most of them went to Gulf countries,, but somehow this helped to fund the money required for their kids education..I would like to see that everyone educated not only muslims even low cast hindus,, should learn to respect each others diffrence and live in good harmony,, I totally oppose the PFI,RSS and other group which will do lots of harm than good for normal humanbeing of kerala who want to see peace and happiness
jishi
Harmony is our legacy
These comments are in response to some of the remarks made by anonimous brothers/sisters regarding the status of Muslim women in Kerala and communal harmony.
It is noticed that some organisations are claiming the credit for improving the status of our women in Kerala and even trying to undermine the contributions made by organisations like Muslim League. It is disappointing to see some fanatic morons are hailing his group and defacing others. See guys, it is not only the so-called Muslim groups, it is the lovely people of Kerala, especially Malabar, who realized the plight of our (Muslim and Sheduled Caste)women and endeavored collectively to educate them. The credit goes to the whole Kerala community. Let us all be happy about it. But don't be complacent. Their plight is far from over... we still have to do a lot... and miles to go before we sleep... instead of comparing them with their unprevileged North Indian counterparts.
Now regarding the attempts from some corners with vested interest to disrupt our peaceful living. I agree with the statement that Hindus and Muslims get along very well in Kerala (in spite of some negligible violent fanatic elements in both communities). It is not our doing... this is the legacy and our heritage passed over from generation to generation. We should maintain it at any cost. I also agree that the proportion of fanatic elements in our Malayalee Christian community is very high. But let look at the brighter side always.. there are a lot of Chritian brothers and sisters who do not have that missionary zeal to convert others to their fold. I don't disagree with you.. you guys are right.. many of them especially influential members and Christian schools, colleges and other educational institutions deny the freedom enjoyed by the people of Kerala... to keep their faith and tradition... wearing a scarf.. peroforming Jumu'a on Friday, etc... But it is the goverments and policy makers and law enforcement agencies that need to look into such matters. Individuals and groups should not be allowed to resort to violence and create an environment of fear and anarchy here. No one should be allowed to lay his/her hand on the centuries old harmony existing in God's Own Country.
its mainly by the effort of
its mainly by the effort of SALFIS(KNM) that promoted muslim education in idia.
Kerala Muslim Women's Education
There was the opposition for female education in all communities in Kerala especially among Muslims in last generation. In some Muslim areas (eg. Thalassery, Kozhikode city, Kodungalloor, Arookutty, Pathanamthitta) and some families the opposition was comparatively less.
Now Muslim women themselves understood that the education is a necessity and their elder men encourage for it. There is even a competitive spirit between Muslim families to make their sons and girls attain higher education. Financially analysing lower middle class Muslims also try to give good education for their girls in order to compensate social prestige for their family's economic backwardness. Today even Sunni Musali(ar)s and Tabligh Moulvis send their girls for worldly education.
It is also to be noted that some Muslim girls slip a little away from Islamic culture in campus. Some girls and boys lean to any way and forget the circumstance in which they were grown up. Some women adopt modern personal appearance. These happen by the influence of their friends from other communities.
However, among the Malayalee community when compared to Catholics, Syrian Christians, Nair and Ezhava Hindus, Muslims are back in case of education of women.
Kerala: the forces behind.
Muslim Educational Society MES, Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen(Wahabi-Salafi), Jamaate Islami , such organisations helped Kerala women becoming educated.Liberal and progressive atmosphere created by Sree Narayana Guru, Communist Movement and various other progressive movements also helped Kerala women achieving this.Christian missionary works also have some role in making Kerala soil educated and literate.Even before independence, Kerala was famous for achievents in health and women education.Travancor Raja rule was progressive to an extent which caused progress in Raja ruled south Kerala.British-ruled north Kerala got no much care.But many Muslim families of North Kerala were rich and educated, so they slowly became successful in educating their women.Orthodox movements like Samastha Jamiatul Ulema and Muslim League also helped though not direcly.
Kerala ; some bad newses: I
Kerala ; some bad newses: I am posting two recent Kerala newses in Internet and News paper. In Kerala, Due to some growth of Muslims in educational field, Christian missionaries are irritated.They are trying to provoke Muslims.They get even the help of some Christian police officers.In Thodupuzha, Christians tried to inflict a Hindu-Muslim riot with the help of Christian police officers.The newses are below:
PATHANAMTHITTA: The Chunkappara Action Council has urged the authorities to ban and confiscate the book defaming Prophet Mohammed. Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, Southern Regional Jamiyathul Ulama president K S Mohammed Ismail Maulavi, Chunkappara Imam Aslam and Shaji K Kottangal said that the book, ‘’Chinavathu Paalam’’, brought out by a Coimbatore-based publisher with fictitious name, hurts the sentiments of the Muslim community with defamatory and derogatory remarks on Prophet Mohammed.
The Council office-bearers said that the copies of the book having 122 pages were distributed among the public who had gathered on the funeral procession route carrying the body of pastor Sam Peter at Chunkappara on Monday. They said that the police had arrested five persons in this connection and took into custody a car, which carried copies of the book. The action council has sought an immediate ban and confiscation of entire copies of the book immediately.
Tense situation
The controversy over the defamatory book has created a tense situation in the Chunkappara area. A police team, headed by Tiruvalla DySP P G Vinodkumar is camping in the area.
The action council organised a protest march and meeting against the controversial book. Hundreds of people participated in the march and the meeting.
Thodupuzha, Friday, April 02, 2010: T.J Joseph a tutor of Newmans College who was arrested for preparing a question paper which contained defamatory statements against Prophet Muhammad has been remanded for 14 days by the Kattappana Magistrate. Since it was a holiday he presented at the Magistrates home.
The police force headed by DySP K.G Simon had nabbed the accused on his way to surrender at Thodupuzha, yesterday evening. The accused professor went into hiding for five long days in fake names at Palakkad, Guravayoor following the outbreak of violence, said the police.
The questions regarding a dialogue between the Almighty and Prophet Mohammad have been framed in a defamatory way in the exam paper. Coming to know about it, Muslim activists and some organizations revolted against this. The KSU and Youth League activists also had staged a protest in front of the college
Hindus of Kerala are very
Hindus of Kerala are very tolerant, especially lower caste groups like Ezhavas and Dalits.But the Christians are very unhappy in the growth of Kerala Muslims.So they try their best to create tension between Hidus and Muslims.Christian church started a new allegation against Muslims recently and named it as love jihad to defame islam and Muslim youths.Christian news paper Malayala Manorama supported the campaign.Christian police officials promoted the campaign.Only after that RSS taken over the campaign.Then Christians given up the issue.But it spurted tension between Hindu and Muslim community.When extremist communal groups like RSS and Popular Front started public allegations a very bad situation arrived.But the really responsible people are Christian Church who started the campaign.
Masha Allah !!
Masha Allah !!
This is proof enough...
The fact is that change did not come in a day or two. Neither it was forced or spoon fed, so no obstacles. It is time we emulate this and move on. Very good informative write up Aaliya Rushdi.
So the change did not...
The fact is that change did not come in a day or two. Neither it was forced or spoon fed, so no obstacles. It is time we emulate this and move on. Very good informative write up Aaliya Rushdi.
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