tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12717822924431534132024-03-13T06:23:05.196-07:00The Quaid on the Role of Women in SocietyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790961512657530069noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271782292443153413.post-55048604517955223832013-12-06T00:33:00.001-08:002013-12-06T00:33:47.565-08:00The Quaid on the Role of Women in Society<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AdwQ4z13x00/TUrPe5ey4WI/AAAAAAAADZc/I7ETFDASZXI/s1600/The+Founder+with+lady+workers+in+Bombay.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AdwQ4z13x00/TUrPe5ey4WI/AAAAAAAADZc/I7ETFDASZXI/s320/The+Founder+with+lady+workers+in+Bombay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quaid-e-Azam with lady workers in Bombay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Muslim women of the Indian subcontinent observed strict
purdah or seclusion well into the twentieth century. They spent their
lives confined to the four wall of their homes. Reformers had advocated
their education and a better treatment, but no one had asked for
emancipation Nazir Ahmed had persuasively argued in his novel in favour
of educating Muslim Women, but within their homes. Altaf Hussain Hali
had used the powerful vehicle of his poetry to criticize the treatment
meted out to women. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the most important Muslim
reformer of the 19th century, had argued the Muslim women’s education
must wait till the Muslim men had been given modern education.<br />
<br />
It was not till the launching of the movement of Anjuman-e-Khuddam-e Ka
‘abah in 1913, that Muslim women began to get involved in any kind of
public activity, although it seems to have been restricted to raising
funds. It was the Khilafat movement and the imprisonment of the Ali
brothers in 1917, which brought their mother, Bi Amman, out. She
addressed large gatherings from behind purdah, which she continued to
observe. However, Bi Amman and her daughter-in-law Amjadi Begum’s
contribution, significant though it was, did not bring out Muslim women
in any substantial numbers.<br />
<br />
It was the Quaid-i-Azam who broke away from the accepted and traditional
view of the role of Muslim women in society, and brought about a
radical transformation in it. The Quaid was responding to a change that
was sweeping the world, and had gained momentum in the post-First World
War period. The Suffragette momentum in the post-First World War period.
The Suffragette movement and the women’s struggle for emancipation, was
an important element of the social and political changes taking place
in the west. In the Indian sub-continent its expression could be seen in
the sudden outburst of women’s magazine that began to published from
different parts of India, in the decade before the outbreak of Great
War.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br />
The Quaid seems to have been aware that Muslim women had been left far
behind in the march towards progress as compared to Hindu women, and he
made deliberate effort to undo this beckwarndness. Hindu women had been
active in the Indian National Congress since 1889, and had participated
in the movement against the partition of Bengal in 1905. At the meeting
of the Muslim League at Lucknow in 1937, a women’s section was formed
with Begum Mohammad Ali as its President. However, it was not till the
Patna session in December 1938 that an All-India Muslim Women’s
Sub-Committee was formed. Thus began the serious involvement of women in
the activities of the Muslim League. The All-India Muslim Women’s
Sub-Committee’s purpose was the organization of provincial and district
women’s sub-committees. Amongst the objectives of this Sub-Committee was
“to carry out intensive propaganda amongst the Muslim women throughout
India in order to create in them a sense of greater political
consciousness.”<br />
<br />
The Quaid’s take-over of the Party leadership in 1934 not only brought
Muslim women into the fold of the party and helped organize them all
over the country, but also mobilized the students and youth. The Quaid
made a special effort to visit girls’ schools and colleges, an
unprecedented step. Fatima Begum, the Principal of the Islamia College
for Women, Lahore, invited him to come and address the students. In his
ringing voice he is quoted to have addressed the audience saying.<br />
<br />
…I am glad to see that not only Muslim men but Muslim women and children
also have understood the Pakistan scheme. No nation can make any
progress without the co-operation of its women. If Muslimwomen support
their men, as they did in the day of the Prophet of Islam, we should
soon realize our goal.<br />
<br />
He made his most definite statement on the role that he envisaged for
women in the country he was struggling to create. He said, “...no nation
is capable of remaining a strong nation, unless and until its men and
women do not struggle together for the achievement of its goals.” He
went on to tell his female audience that they were faced with a great
political movement and asked them to participate in the struggle till it
met with success.<br />
<br />
The Quaid had set the tone for the freedom struggle of Pakistan. He had
stated in categorical terms that in the achievement and struggle for
Pakistan, Muslim women were to participate as equal partners. That he
practiced what he preached was demonstrated by the presence of his
sister by his side in almost all public activities. This was a period
when the norm was women to be in seclusion and housebound.<br />
<br />
It is therefore, not surprising, that a general militancy and radicalism
spread through the ranks of the women activists of the movement for
Pakistan. A young student of the Lahore College for women, addressing a
meeting at the Town Hal in honour of the Quaid, called upon the Muslim
men to educate Muslim women so that they could take their rightful place
alongside men for the achievement of Pakistan. She urgued that Islamic
history was replete with instances when Muslim women had fought the
battles of Islam side by side with them, and the ideal of Pakistan would
become a reality once the Muslim women were also involved in the
struggle.<br />
<br />
Women and girl students were involved in the freedom movement to an
unprecedented degree after 1940.The election of 1946 led to more
activism by the Muslim League women supporters, and they traveled to
different areas as the North West Frontier. They also helped in polling
stations. When despite winning a majority of the seats it did not result
in the formation of a Muslim League government, the Muslim League
acquired more militant tactics and the women took to the streets. To
women’s participation in agitation and demonstration and public meetings
only increased in 1947. According to one report, over a thousand women
attended an annual session of the Frontier Provincial Women’s Muslim
League held in Peshawar on 2 February 1947.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AdwQ4z13x00/TUrP-mzRBfI/AAAAAAAADZg/da2oECxTvDw/s1600/The+Pakistan+Women%2527s+National+Guard+in+the+late+1940s.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AdwQ4z13x00/TUrP-mzRBfI/AAAAAAAADZg/da2oECxTvDw/s400/The+Pakistan+Women%2527s+National+Guard+in+the+late+1940s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pakistan Women's National Guard in the late 1940s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the Quaid got an invitation in 1946 from the
International Herald Tribune to send two of his representatives to the
Tribune Forum, he nominated M.A.H Ispahani and Begum Shahnawaz. Ispahani
writes that the Quaid told him that he “would ask Begum Shahnawaz to
accompany me to the USA to counteract the Hindu propaganda that the
Muslims were reactionaries and their women were neither politically
awake nor exercised any rights and, therefore, if Pakistan were founded,
it would be an intolerant and theocratic State”.<br />
<br />
Much before the Quaid’s impact in Muslim League politics was felt, he
had already made a major contribution in strengthening women’s legal
position through social reform legislation. The main beneficiary of the
Child Marriage Act of 1929 and the Shariat Act of 1937 were Muslim
women. Initially the Child Marrage Bill had been moved by Rai Sahib
Habirlas Sarda to eradicate this social evil amongst the Hindus, but was
later made applicable to all the nationals of British India. The
orthodox sections of both Hindu and Muslim leadership opposed the Bill
arguing that the government was reneging on its promise not to interfere
in the personal laws of the communities living in India.<br />
<br />
The Quaid was clearly in favour of the legislation which would protect
the health of young girls, who were married off when still children. To
counter the orthodox opinion the Quaid said, “Sir, I am convinced in my
mind that there is nothing in the Qoran, there is nothing in Islam,
which prevents us from destroying this evil”. The Quaid lived up-to his
reputation of taking strong position on issues he considered important
for the weal of the people he represented. While discussing the Child
Marriage Bill he declard:<br />
<br />
But, Sir I make bold to say that if my constituency is so backward as to
disapprove of a measure like this, then I say…. ‘You had better ask
somebody else to represent you’…. And if we are going to allow ourselves
to be influenced by the public opinion that can be created in the name
of religion when we know that religion has nothing whatever to do with
the matter, I think we must have the courage to say ‘No we are not going
to be frightened by that’.<br />
<br />
He also lauded the government policy of not staying aloof from carring out pressing social reform.<br />
<br />
The Quaid played an important role in guiding the Shariat Act of 1937
through the Central Legislative Assembly. In certain parts of India
where the personal law of the Muslims was customary law, there was a
demand to replace it by the Shariat (the Muslim religious law). In
Punjab, for instance, the law of primogeniture applied in inheritance,
and women did not inherit any property. The Quaid made clear as to why
he regarded the replacement of customary law by the Shariat to be of
such great import. He said:<br />
<br />
…the principle underlying this Bill is to secure to the female heirs
their due share according to Muhammadan Law. According to the customs
and usages that have prevailed, the position of the female heirs has
been a very precarious one…I submit that the Islamic code of law is most
just because the shares are defined there, namely the daughters gets
half the share of the son, and similar is the position of the female
heirs… even today the economic position of women is the foundation of
her being as equal of man and share the life of man to the fullest
extent.<br />
<br />
Quaid-i-Azam spelt out his view on women repeatedly in his speeches and
statements, leaving no room for ambiguity. It was not a theoretical
position but a belief that he translated into action by empowering women
and girls through the Muslim League. He successfully unleashed their
energies, and so they were able to play a major role in the Pakistan
Movement. He supported or initiated legislation, which would improve
women’s legal position. Such was the courage of his convinction that he
was willing to resign rather then succumb to popular pressure against
social reform. This is the legacy that Quaid-i-Azam has left for us.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">By Dr. Dushka H. Saiyid</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Reference: Pakistan Journal of History & Culture (Quaid-i-Azam Number) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Vol. XXII, No. 2 July - Dec, 2001</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Publisher: National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (Centre of Excellence) Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad-Pakistan</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Reference:</b></u><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dushka H. Saiyid, Muslim Women of the British Punjab: From Seclusion of Politics (London: Macmillan, 1948), pp. 76-78.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">See Altaf Hussain Hali’s “Chup ki Daad”, Kulyat-e-Nazm-e-Hali (Lahore: Majlise Taraqqui Adab), p. 46.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sarfraz Hussain Mirza, Muslim Women’s Role in the Pakistan Movement (Lahore: University of the Punjab, 1969) p. 9.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dushka H. Saiyid, p. 87.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Text of Resolutions passed at the Twenty-Sixth Annual Session of the All Indian Muslim League, 26,-29 December 1938, at Patna, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Freedom Movement Archives, vol. 191, p. 40.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Eastern Times, 28 October 1942.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ibid., 22 November 1942.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Inquilanb, 3 April1940.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ibid., 26 November 1942.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Punjab Police Abstract of Intelligence (Lahore: 9 February 1946), p. 68.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">CID Reports, 10 February 1947, in ibid.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">M.A.H. Ispahani, Quaid-i-Azam As I Knew Him (Karachi: Elite Publishers, 1976), p. 231.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Proceedings of the Council of the Governor-General, 5 September 1929, p. 356.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ibid., P. 385.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Muslim Personal Law (Shariat
Application Act, 1937) (Delhi: Government Printing Press, 1938); M.A.
Jinnah, 9 September 1937, p. 1445.</span></li>
</ol>
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