5 min readSep 7, 2026 02:05 PM IST
First published on: Sep 4, 2026 at 12:58 PM IST
By Javed Anand, Feroze Mithiborewala, Zakia Soman, Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Shamsuddin Tamboli and Bader Sayeed
We write to congratulate you on your unprecedented and inspiring address to the gathering of Gen Z women in Pune. Your unequivocal call to smash the patriarchy and dismantle systemic male dominance struck a deep, resonant chord across the country. In calling out the Manusmriti for reducing women to lifelong dependence — whether as daughters, sisters, wives, or mothers — you articulated a truth that millions of young women have long fought to speak: True freedom cannot coexist in a male-dominated conservative society with institutionalised inequality.
Extending the vision of gender justice
As Muslim reformist voices and progressive thinkers, we urge you to look closely at the struggles being waged by brave Muslim women in their quest for respect, dignity, and equal citizenship under the Constitution of India. Justice and fairness are intrinsic to the spirit of the Quran as well.
Patriarchy is an all-encompassing force that respects no border, no caste, and no creed. While the battle against orthodox male dominance continues within Hindu and other communities, an equally relentless struggle is being waged by women and youth within the Indian Muslim community. This critical reality must be recognised by the nation.
Undoubtedly, Indian Muslims are currently facing a deep sense of insecurity due to the rising tide of the politics of fear, hatred, and division. Yet, even as we combat these forces to protect and defend minorities, the issue of gender-just reforms can no longer wait for the “right time” to speak out.
Custodians of identity vs constitutional rights
For decades, conservative bodies — such as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and other male-dominated organisations — have positioned themselves as the sole custodians of Muslim identity. Time and again, their leadership has opposed fundamental, gender-just reforms, deploying regressive arguments to justify control over women’s lives. For these conservative organisations, allegiance to the Constitution begins and ends at Articles 25 and 26, selectively highlighting minority rights and religious freedoms while ignoring the foundational guarantees of equality and human dignity for women.
We anchor our vision of India in Articles 14 through 21 — the constitutional promises of equality before the law, non-discrimination, human dignity, and personal liberty.
Breaking free from communal traps and building a progressive India
Young Indian Muslims, especially young women, refuse to be left out in the cold while the rest of the nation marches forward against patriarchal control. Furthermore, the entrenched orthodox forces within the Muslim community provide constant ammunition to Hindutva narratives, which seek to demonise the entire community as inherently backward, anti-reform, and anti-women. This dynamic deepens the isolation of Indian Muslims and accelerates the communalisation of Indian society.
The emergence of a vibrant, secular, and progressive Indian Muslim voice is vital for nation-building and for strengthening the democratic fabric of India. Patriarchy within the Muslim community remains a massive roadblock to essential social progress.
A charter for gender justice and systemic reform
In recent decades, grassroots movements, activists and intellectual forums including the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) and the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal — have tirelessly campaigned for systemic change, demanding legal protection against polygamy; absolute end to discriminatory practices like nikah halala and muta marriage; upholding and strengthening protections against instant triple talaq, safeguarding a hard-won victory for women’s dignity; equal inheritance rights to guarantee economic independence for all women members in the family; strict adherence to 18 as the uniform legal age of marriage for women and ending child marriage hidden behind supposed personal law exceptions; an absolute ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) to safeguard bodily integrity; unhindered access to sacred spaces, ensuring women can enter and pray in masjids as equal believers; and fair and progressive legal frameworks governing divorce, maintenance and child custody.
A call for equal citizenship and shared reform
All-pervasive and well-entrenched social malignancy is not only “out there” but even within seemingly progressive institutions and organisations. Reforming society requires standing up to patriarchal forces everywhere. Young Muslim women and men are eager to break free from clergy-driven control and contribute to a modern, secular, and egalitarian India. Muslim women must get parity in law with all other women.
We appeal to you to use your national platform to engage directly with young Indian Muslims and amplify the reformist voices fighting for gender justice. It is time to recognise the quest for justice and equality rising from within the Muslims and shun the conservative viewpoints. If we are to dismantle patriarchy in India, we must smash it everywhere it exists. We invite you to stand with us in this shared movement for equal rights, shared citizenship, and genuine social reform.
In solidarity and faith in the Constitution.
Anand and Mithiborewala are with Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy; Soman and Niaz are Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan; Tamboli is with Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal and Sayeed is with Roshni, Chennai
We appeal to you to use your national platform to engage directly with young Indian Muslims and amplify the reformist voices fighting for gender justice. 
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