- Picture of Protest Sit-in on 20 March 2010
- at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
Not in Our Name!
We the undersigned Muslim citizens as well as secular activists support the Women’s Reservation Bill which is the first step towards equality and justice for women. We believe once the Bill is adopted there can and will be democratic processes through which space and genuine participation for excluded women including Muslim women can be worked out. However, it is shocking the way some religious leaders are opportunistically using the debate on the Bill to make reprehensible statements in national media about women and their role in society.
Some men claiming to be clerics have made statements in the national media such as “ Allah sent women on earth to give birth to children and raise them to be doctors and engineers.†“Auraton ka kaam he achchi nasl ke bachche paida karna†. “What do women know about politics? Their place is at home.â€
We strongly condemn these irresponsible and disgraceful statements. They are not just ludicrous but also extremely dangerous in thought and intent. They are not only anti-women, unjust, inhuman and violative of the letter and the spirit of the Constitution of India, but in our view also un-Islamic. This is nothing but patriarchy masquerading as Islam so we say to them loud and clear: Not in our name! Every Indian who believes in justice, equality and democracy must oppose these. As Indian Muslims and as secular citizens we are also seriously concerned that these fascistic outdated, outmoded male chauvinistic utterings have come to signify the voice of Muslim community. We state that these men may speak for a section but we question their posturing as spokesmen of all Muslim men, leave alone women. Muslim women are equal citizens and fully capable of speaking for themselves. Equally well, we challenge their partisan, male-centric interpretation of Islam. We urge friends in the media not to give undue space to these elements to spread their divisive and retrograde beliefs. As in other communities there are enough sane and progressive voices, both male and female, that need to be brought together and amplified.
1. A.A. Sheikh, Gujarat
2. Abdulsalam.A.Shaikh ,The Noor Education Trust
3. Abid Surti, Writer, Mumbai
4. Adhveta Marathe ,Oxfam India Trust
5. Amena Khatun A. Aziz, Gujarat
6. Amit Sengupta, journalist, Delhi
7. Annu, Nazareth Mahila Samiti, Delhi
8. Anup Kumar Srivastava , PWESCR, New Delhi
9. Priti Darooka , PWESCR, New Delhi
10. Anwar Rajan, Pune
11. Anwar Veerji ,Sanchetna
12. Appu Esthose Suresh, Correspondent, The Sunday Guardian
13. Aseem Srivastava
14. Aslam Khan, AISA, Jamia Millia Islamia
15. Avalokita Dutt, Delhi
16. Avinash Pasricha, Freelance photographer
17. Ayesha Bano Pathan ,Manav Sewa Trust
18. Ayesha Pathan, Gujarat
19. Aziza Ahmed, human rights lawyer, New York
20. Azra Abidi, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi
21. Babu Mathew, Action Aid India.
22. Banubi Basha, Mahila Kamgaar Sanghatana, Mumbai
23. C K Subair, Kerala
24. C Saratchandran, Documentary Film-maker, Kochi, Kerala
25. C.D. Chauhan, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
26. Cedric Prakash ,Prashant
27. Charul Bharwad ,Loknaad
28. Digant Oza ,All India Secular Forum
29. Dilip Simeon
30. Dolphy D’souza, The Bombay Catholic Sabha, Mumbai.
31. Syed Zafar Mahmood, President, Interfaith Coalition for Peace, New Delhi
32. Chandrakant Puri, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
33. Faizan Haider Naqvi, Delhi
34. Gagan Sethi, Gujarat
35. Gauhar Raza, Scientists, Delhi
36. Gaurang Rawal ,Drishti Media
37. Gautam Thakker ,PUCL
38. Geeta Dharmarajan, Katha, Delhi
39. Ghanshyam Shah, academician, Gujarat
40. Gulshan Khan, Hamraaz Legal Cell, Mumbai
41. Hanif Lakdawala ,Sanchetna
42. Harsh Kapoor, Delhi
43. Harsh Mander ,Aman Biradari
44. Hiren Gandhi ,Samvedan Cultural Program
45. Hozefa Ujjaini ,Aman Samudaya
46. Iftikhar A. Khan, Vadodara, Gujarat
47. Indu Kumar Jani ,Naya Marg, Gujarat
48. Iqbal Baig, Samerth, Gujarat
49. Irfan Engineer, CSSS, Mumbai
50. Ishaque Arab, Aman Biradari
51. Jamila Khan, Gujarat
52. Javed Akhtar
53. Javed Ameer, Action Aid, Ahmedabad
54. Javed Anand, Muslims for Secular Democracy, Mumbai
55. Jimmy Dabhi, Kabul
56. Juzar S Bandukwala, Baroda
57. Jyoti Punwani, columnist, Mumbai
58. K.A. Sheikh, Gujarat
59. Kamala Bhasin, Sangat
60. Kamini Kapadia, Child Rights Activist, Mumbai
61. Keshubhai Patil, Aman Samuday, Gujarat
62. Khairun (PARWAZ)
63. Khairun N. Hur, Parwaz Sangathan, Gujarat
64. Khatunbibi M. Shaikh, Gujarat
65. KP Sasi, Documentary Film Maker
66. M.A. Sheikh, Gujarat
67. M.A.Karimi, Gujarat
68. Maherajbibi B. Pathan, Gujarat
69. Maherunnisa, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
70. Maimudi, Gujarat
71. Mallika Sarabhai and Darpana Academy, Ahmedabad
72. Manas Ranjan, Action Aid, Bhuvaneshwar
73. Manisha Trivedi, Anhad, Gujarat
74. Manjula Pradeep (NAVSARJAN TRUST)
75. Manoj Sharma, Anhad, Gujarat
76. Manshuri Nasimben, Gujarat
77. Mansi Sharma, Anhad
Md. Ashraf Ali, Right Track, Kolkata
78. Meena Jagtap (DASTAK)
79. Meera Malik (CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT)
80. Mehamuda Patel, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
81. Mehjan , Sahrwaru, Gujarat
82. Mohan Bhagat, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, US
83. Mukund Sindhav (HUMANIST RATIONALIST ASSOCIATION, GODHRA)
84. Nadeem Ahmed, Editor – The Sunday Indian (Urdu)
85. Nadim Nikhat, CSJ, Gujarat
86. Nafisa Barot (UTTHAN)
87. Nahid Siddiqui, Delhi
88. Naish Hasan,Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Lucknow
89. Najmabanu, Gujarat
90. Nargis Tariq Husein, Concerned Individual, Bahrain
91. Naseem Mansuri (NISWAN)
92. Naseem Shaikh (NISWAN)
93. Naseeruddin Shah, Actor, Mumbai
94. Natvarbhai, Aman Samuday. Gujarat
95. Neela Limaye, Maharastra Mahila Parishad, Mumbai
96. Nida Kirmani, University of Birmingham, UK, UK
97. Nidhi Bhardwaj, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
98. Nitin More, LEARN, Mumbai
99. Noor Subasha, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
100. Noorjahan Ansari (NISWAN)
101. Noorjahan Diwan (BHARTIYA MUSLIM MAHILA ANDOLAN)
102. Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Mumbai
103. Nupur Sinha (CENTRE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE)
104. Praful Bidwai, columnist, Delhi
105. Prasad Chako (NCDHR)
106. Amit Bhaduri, JNU, New Delhi
107. Angana Chaterjee, California Institute of Integral Studies, USA
108. Rekha Pande, Centre for Women Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad
109. Punam Kathuriya (SWATI organization)
110. Purshottam Waghela (MANAV GARIMA)
111. Pushpa Achanta - Bangalore based freelance writer and volunteer
112. Qudsiya Contractor, Student, TISS, Mumbai
113. Rafi Malik
114. Rajgopalan, Course Director, CDIT, Trivandrum, Kerala
115. Raman Mehta, Action Aid, Delhi
116. Rashida Ansari,Aman Samudaya, Gujarat
117. Razia Rehman, Hukook-e-Niswan Sanghatana, Mumbai
118. Razia Shaikh, Mahila Kamgaar Sanghatana, Mumbai
119. Razzak Mansuri, Urja Ghar
120. Ritu Pathak, Mumbai
121. Romel Sutariya, Indian Socity Youth Org, Gujarat
122. Rubina Nafees Fatima, Safa Society Hyderabad
123. S.A. Sheikh, Gujarat
124. Sabiha Hussian, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi
125. Sachin Pandya (ANHAD)
126. Sameera Khundmiri, Centre for International Programs, Osmania University, Hyderabad
127. Samina, Parwaz Sangathan, Gujarat
128. Saminabanu Afazalbhai Fakir, IDP,Gujarat
129. Sarita Bisora, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
130. Sarup Dhruv (DARSHAN)
131. Satinder Bhagat, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, US
132. Seema Duhan, Anhad
133. Sejal Dave
134. Shabnam Hashmi, Anhad , Delhi
135. Shagufta Shaikh, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
136. Shaheen Sayed Kadri, Jt. Sec, Minority Development Dep, Mantralaya, Mumbai
137. Shahjahan Mirza, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
138. Shaikh Vahida, Jan Surjan Trust, Gujarat
139. Shalehabanu Ayubbhai Sheikh, IDP, Gujarat
140. Sheba George (SAHRWARU)
141. Shehnaz Ansari (AMAN SAMUDAYA)
142. Shobha Ramachandran, Books for Change, Bangalore
143. Shweta Karkera, ACTIONAID INDIA, MUMBAI
144. Sofia Khan (SAFAR)
145. Sohail Hashmi, New Delhi
146. Sudhir Joglekar, Pragati Nagrik Sanghatana , Belgaum, Karnataka
147. Sujaat Vali ,Humanist Rationalist Association, Godhra
148. Sulekha Ali (ARZOO)
149. Sumitra Thakker (ANANDI)
150. Sushila Prajapati (ACTION AID)
151. Teesta Setalvad, Co-Editor Communalism Combat, Mumbai
152. Vijay Parmar (JAN VIKAS)
153. Vinay Mahajan (LOKNAAD)
154. Vrinda Grover
155. Waqar Qazi (ANHAD)
156. Yasmin Sayyed, Freeelancer in the field of Health and Human Rights, Mumbai
157. Zaid Ahmed Shaikh
158. Zain Rahimtulla, New Delhi
160. Zakia Soman, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Delhi
161. Zubeda Malek, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
162. Zulekha A. Multani, Sahrwaru, Gujarat
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