NEW DELHI, September 22: A group of progressive Muslim activists, intellectuals and women’s rights advocates has opposed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s (AIMPLB) nationwide ‘Save India, Save Shariat’ campaign, calling instead for reforms focused on gender equality, constitutional rights and social justice.
The statement, issued jointly by Javed Anand and Feroze Mithiborwala of Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), Zakia Soman and Noorjehan Safia Niaz of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), Shamsuddin Tamboli of Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal and Bader Saeed of Roshni, describes the AIMPLB campaign as misguided. The statement argues that the campaign could contribute to political polarisation by reinforcing competing narratives around Muslim personal law and constitutional rights. It also calls for a broader discussion on reforms to family laws affecting Muslim women.
‘Need for Gender Justice’
The signatories have raised questions over what they describe as patriarchal interpretations of Muslim personal law in India. They cite the AIMPLB’s 2016 affidavit before the Supreme Court during the triple talaq case as part of their argument for examining existing personal-law practices and interpretations. They further argue that constitutional protections for religious freedom under Articles 25–30 need to be considered alongside the equality guarantees contained in Articles 14 and 15.
Call for Reform of Personal Laws
The statement points to reforms and codification of family laws in several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia and Morocco, as examples cited by the signatories in support of legal reform. The group says any discussion on family-law reform should address issues including minimum marriage age, polygamy, divorce rights, inheritance, child custody and adoption, while also mentioning female genital mutilation and halala among practices it believes should be addressed.
Criticism of Both Conservative and Hindu-Right Politics
The statement also criticises what the signatories describe as the political use of Muslim women’s rights by Hindu-right organisations. At the same time, it accuses conservative Muslim leadership of failing to sufficiently address the everyday concerns of the community, including education, employment, security and socio-economic marginalisation. These are positions expressed by the signatories and are not independently established findings in the statement. The signatories have called on civil society organisations and secular political parties to support a gender-just and religion-neutral Uniform Civil Code, while arguing that any such reform should be based on equality and human rights rather than communal polarisation.
Prominent Names Among Signatories
The statement carries the names of 92 signatories, including actor Naseeruddin Shah, filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, actor-director Amol Palekar, actor Ratna Pathak, classical dancer and activist Mallika Sarabhai, journalist and activist Teesta Setalvad, academic Ram Puniyani, former ambassador Madhu Bhaduri, and others.
The list also includes Dr. Shujaat Ali Quadri, Convener of the Muslim Youth Organisation of India, along with New Age Islam editor-in-chief Sultan Shahin and Islamic scholar Zeenat Shaukat Ali.
The statement comes amid an ongoing national debate over Muslim personal law, women’s rights and the proposed Uniform Civil Code, with different Muslim organisations and civil society groups taking contrasting positions on the issue.