By Kulsum Mustafa,
Lucknow, October 9: “We all have to first fight our personal battles pertaining to fear and inequality before we can fight for the community.” This was the advise of Ms Zakia Soman, founder member Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) from Gujarat. Urging women to be strong and extrovert she said only those who have been able to overcome discrimination and struggle will be able to lead others. Condemning those who use religion as a shield to do all irreligious things she said those who say that marrying off a girl at the age of 12 will earn you a place in heaven are blatantly violating the tenants of Islam. The activist said our first fight should be against the system that fails to recognise women as human being and does not give a woman the due respect in her home and society.
Ms Soman was addressing the media persons at the bi-monthly Media for Children event, jointly organized by Media Nest (MN) and UNICEF at Uttar Pradesh Press Club on Friday afternoon.
Media Nest is a body of media professions which works for the welfare of journalists and their families. Media for Children, is a unique initiative taken by MN wherein efforts are made towards creating the right sensitivity in media persons on issues of social development.
“Media For Children is a capacity building exercise undertaken since November 14, Children’s Day to give more power to the pen of journalists wishing to write on development issue,” said Kulsum Talha, secretary general of Media Nest. She said that members of MN package stories on development, call the resource persons.
“At MH Media plays host to NGOs which have contributed substantially to the cause of development. By calling BMMA we attempted to provide an insight into the working of women volunteers who have created a mass movement for the rights of Muslim women, said Ajay Upreti, treasuer of MN.
Introducing BMMA to the media, Naish Hasan, founder member said “BMMA is not an organisation but a mass movement of Muslim women aiming at the empowerment of community through women and girls. It demands social, economic, political, civil, legal and religious rights for all Muslims.”
Ms Hasan said BMMA cuts across class and caste.It prepares women to take leadership of issues concerning their community and towards realization of full citizenship. BMMA is holding its third National Convention in Lucknow on October 11, and through its children committee it will raise the vital issue‘ HAQ MILEGA KAB ?” ANYAY KE KHILAF BAAL COMMITTEE (When will we get our rights? Children committee raises voice against injustice).
“It is time that girls are treated with equality in their house first so that they can demand right in society,” said Nazia, treasurer of the Children’s committee BMMA’s the children’s wing of BMMA.
“Attempts must be made to look after orphans, who are so far given a bad deal,” said Hashmi Bano, President of the Committee. Shameem, secretary of the committee said that those children who have educated parents are lucky because they can understand well the aspirations of their children and promote them. He said for poor children life is a big struggle but even then they should not leave the path of education and enlightment.
“We have been successful in organising and mobilising Muslim women across the country to assert themselves and regain their citizenship rights,” said Naaz Raza, another founder member of BMMA She said the Convention will highlight the achievements of the BMMA movement will raise pertinent questions about the role of state in safeguarding the citizenship rights of the Muslim community in general and of the Muslim women in particular.
She said BMMA is carrying out a nation wide study of the aspirations of young Muslim girls and this meet is part of our national campaign to highlight the needs and requirements of the girls.