The book examines the Muslim women’s position in the background of prevalent poverty, low socio-economic and educational trends. The oppression as seen is routed through the intertwining of gender and class. Further, Muslim women’s social backwardness is traced in the various responses of the community to the particular circumstances bequeathed by certain events in the Indian history. Finally, in the context of contemporary modernization, the problems and possibilities of Muslim women’s status alleviation are explored.
The social position of Indian Muslim women is at the bottom of social hierarchy as they suffer as being women and as belonging to a specific community and class. It is interesting sociologically to know why Muslim women remain backward compared to the women of the other religious communities in social, economic, cultural and political spectra. Largely, the Muslims do not take the benefits of the new avenues than other religious groups as they had taken more readily a humanistic and democratic ways of life. On the other hand, despite their forward looking and egalitarian religion the Muslims stuck to their conservatism and deny to accept justice (Adl) education, democratic and human values so much so rigid social customs and patriarchy obstruct women’s progress. Thus the chasm with other religious groups have been developing that in turn institutionalizing the inequality of status. |
