Pakistan

Dearest friends at Shirkat Gah and other sister organisations in Pakistan,

I am writing on behalf of the Women Living Under Muslim Laws network to express our deep condolences in the wake of yesterday’s attack in Peshawar.  When the news broke, our hearts broke too. 

In the week Malala Yousafzai collects her prize in Oslo, Karima Bennoune writes, "Dear Malala, As you accept the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, please know how many human rights activists around the world -- especially women -- are grateful to you ..."

Asia Bibi is a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy. Ayub Masih, a Christian man likewise facing the same, was acquitted and released in 2002. Please show the same justice for Asia Bibi by signing a petition to Supreme Court of Pakistan here.

While on one hand a PIL has been filed for UCC, there is another significant development in this direction. This relates to the personal laws of Muslim community. That ‘Muslim women are subject to more domination and gender injustice’ has been a widespread perception. While as such the Personal laws of different religious communities are not giving adequate justice to women, the popular focus is mainly on the Muslim community. This despite the fact that there are number of Muslim women’s groups who are striving for gender just civil codes within Muslim community. The recently released Nikahnama (Marriage Norms) by Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) is one such leap by Muslim women to overcome the shackles of patriarchal grip on the Muslim women.  Model Nikahnama released by BMMA (June 23, 2014) is an important step in this direction, in the direction of empowering Muslim women This tries to give the solution to various problems faced by Muslim women. It outlines the various steps for which the large section of Muslim women is longing for.