--- On Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 2:04 PM, hasina khan [email protected] [feministsindia] <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Dear All, > > Please forward and share this statement among your circles. We request > those of us in feminist circles who are involved with digital and other > Media to please share it. > . > > STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE APPROPRIATION OF WOMEN’S MOVEMENT AND MUSLIM > WOMEN’S VOICES BY THE BJP GOVERNMENT > > We, as Bebaak Collective (Voices of the Fearless), are writing this > statement univocally condemning the comment made by the BJP leader > Subramanian Swamy in an event in Mumbai on Friday, 27th October that the > party could win in Uttar Pradesh elections because Muslim women believed > that it was BJP who could save them from ‘triple talaq’. (See, “Muslim > women felt only BJP could save them from triple talaq says Swamy” Indian > Express, 28th October) BJP leaders have time and again celebrated the > victory of the recent judgement that invalidates the instantaneous practice > of triple talaq and the leadership have often claimed the victory to > itself, strategically pointing out the silence of the Congress government > during the Shah Bano case. > > The enormous media debate, after the judgement, underplayed the efforts of > women’s movement and turned it into a game of political rivalry between BJP > and Congress. In fact, BJP’s constant reference to the violent and gender > discriminatory practice of triple talaq seems to feed into the imagination > that the Muslim community is conservative and violent which also creates > fractures within the community and legitimises the targeted violence of the > men of the community in beef cases or in fabricated terror cases. > We strongly condemn the appropriation of the struggle of women’s groups > and want to reiterate that triple talaq could be declared unconstitutional > owing to the sustained work of women’s groups in the community and also, > because of the legal intervention made by grass-roots women’s groups in the > apex court supporting Shayara Bano’s petition who challenged the validity > of unilateral triple talaq in the court. Bebaak Collective, which is a > campaign group, and works with several other grassroots organisations > across states, was one of the petitioners to intervene in the court > supporting Shayara Bano. > > On 22nd August 2017, the honourable Supreme Court of India adjudicated > that instantaneous triple talaq will not be acknowledged by the law on a > 3-2 majority in a five bench trial while maintaining the ethos of equality > as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. This judgement is ‘historic’ in > terms that it gives a legal acknowledgement to the demands of Muslim > activists across the country and also occult the self-styled ‘authentic’ > representatives of the community--All India Muslim Personal Law Board > (AIMPLB). > However, in the aftermath of this judgement, there have been series of > occasions where the standing government consciously tried to hijack the > victory and misrepresent the events. It must be remembered that it was > women’s groups who approached the court and not the current government who > only filed an affidavit when directed by the court. However, the successive > statements from BJP ministers congratulating Muslim women and projecting > BJP as the sole messiah of the community has resulted into further > polarization within the community and makes it appear as if the Muslim > women’s leadership aligned with the right-wing government around this issue. > > It appears that these stories before the Gujarat elections and assembly > elections of 2019 will strengthen the image of the current government as a > champion of women’s rights which will successively translate into winning > election booths. We strongly resist this appropriation and unabashed > manipulation of the Muslim community and especially the women. > > On this occasion, we want to ask whether the government has made any real > policy level intervention to better the social security of the Muslim > community or even whether the government is bringing any schemes or > policies to change the material realities of the Muslim women and girls in > particular who seem to have evoked this government’s sudden empathy. While > it must be remembered that as soon as this government came to power, it > criminalized beef consumption and trading; there is an increasing number of > cow vigilantes under the patronage of the government and other right-wing > forces. Incidents of the killing of Muslims and Dalits on suspicion of beef > possession are a much-reported reality while the perpetrators of the > violence against Md. Akhlaque, Pehlu Khan, Junaid are roaming scot-free. > > Besides, where was this government when the incidents of mass rape in > Gujarat massacre and Muzaffarnagar riots were being pushed below the carpet > or orchestrated? What has the government done to recuperate the lives of > several Muslim families who were victims during Muzaffarnagar riots and > those who migrated to neighbouring villages and towns? What did the > government do when the hindutva strategies like Love Jihad were getting > strengthened and anti-Romeo squads were functioning in the states like > Uttar Pradesh? These protectionist agenda not only led to the social > segregation between the majority and minority communities but also impacted > the lives of Muslim women whose mobility was restricted further within the > walls of their home. > Where is this verbose government when Najeeb from Jawaharlal Nehru > University, Delhi went missing? Why is it being silent partisan with the > JNU administration in shielding the ABVP students when Fatima Nafees, as a > Muslim woman and citizen of this county, is demanding justice for her > disappeared son? We challenge this government to protect the rights of > Muslims by ensuring that they implement Sachar Recommendations and they > pass the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice > and Reparations) Bill, 2011. > > Only if we see any progressive move in this direction could we believe > that this government is in any way interested in safeguarding the rights of > Muslim women. Otherwise, these statements and empathy remain hollow as the > ruling dispensation has time and again demonstrated that Muslims are second > class citizens of this country and prone to both systemic and vigilante > attacks. > > The government is now shamelessly trying to capitalise on the thirty-five > years-long struggle of women’s movement, which stood by the Muslim > community. This statement is a reiteration of strong voices of women > activists within the Muslim community, an emergent leadership which cannot > be squashed or appropriated by any forces. The current government which > otherwise maintains a stoic silence on any incident of violence towards the > community, should not try to strike any ‘emotional cord’ with the women of > the community while claiming to be their messiah and yet consorting with > the dream of ‘hindu rajya’. It must be remembered that this appropriation > of the judgement will not only mar the complex questions of gender rights > but also reduce the role of progressive political forces as redundant ideas > and we must fight against this. > > In solidarity > Bebaak Collective (Voices of the Fearless) > > > Bebaak Collective (Voices of the Fearless) is a campaign group primarily > functioning from Mumbai and fighting against fundamentalism and repressive > forces from an intersectional feminist perspective. > > *** > > __._,_.___ > ------------------------------ > Posted by: hasina khan <[email protected]> > ------------------------------ > Reply via web post > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/feministsindia/conversations/messages/37645;_ylc=X3oDMTJyN3ZpbG01BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI1Mjc0NjYwBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTAxNTUwMARtc2dJZAMzNzY0NQRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNycGx5BHN0aW1lAzE1MDk0Mzg5MTI-?act=reply&messageNum=37645> > • Reply to sender > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Statement%20Condemning%20the%20Appropriation%20of%20Women%27s%20Movement%20and%20Muslim%20Women%27s%20Voices%20by%20the%20BJP%20Government> > • Reply to group > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Statement%20Condemning%20the%20Appropriation%20of%20Women%27s%20Movement%20and%20Muslim%20Women%27s%20Voices%20by%20the%20BJP%20Government> > • Start a New Topic > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/feministsindia/conversations/newtopic;_ylc=X3oDMTJmdnNpcmZvBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI1Mjc0NjYwBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTAxNTUwMARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzE1MDk0Mzg5MTI-> > • Messages in this topic > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/feministsindia/conversations/topics/37645;_ylc=X3oDMTM3b2ZqZG9kBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI1Mjc0NjYwBGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTAxNTUwMARtc2dJZAMzNzY0NQRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawN2dHBjBHN0aW1lAzE1MDk0Mzg5MTIEdHBjSWQDMzc2NDU-> > (1) > ------------------------------ > Have you tried the highest rated email app? <https://yho.com/1wwmgg> > With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email > app on the market. 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