Eight women from Assam, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Punjab were honoured at the third Dr Rama Saharia Memorial Awards Ceremony, organised by the MBKM Foundation at the NEA Auditorium here on Sunday. The Foundation is headed by Prof Pradeep Mathur, an author and a veteran journalist.
The awards recognised outstanding contributions in journalism, higher education, social service, performing arts, disability empowerment and other fields. A notable feature of this year’s ceremony was the diversity of the recipients, who came from Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Muslim communities.
The awardees had overcome social and economic hardships, as well as family-related challenges, to establish themselves in their respective professions. Their achievements serve as an inspiration to women from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Dr Rama Saharia Memorial Media Award was presented to Naina Gautam, a journalist and sustainability communicator, for her work in raising awareness about climate change, the environment and health.
Prof. Manjinder Kaur received the Dr Rama Saharia Memorial Award for Higher Education in recognition of her long-standing contribution to education and teaching.
The Dr Rama Saharia Memorial Social Service Award was conferred on Urmal Munjwani for her contribution to yoga, wellness and holistic health.
Garima Joshi was honoured with the Dr Rama Saharia Memorial Award for Performing Arts and Standout Skills for her contribution to the performing arts.
The Dr Rama Saharia Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Sukhdeep Kaur for her selfless service towards the empowerment of persons with disabilities. Her work spans education, sports, rights advocacy and the creation of inclusive opportunities.
Atlanta Mahanta received an award for her contribution to multimedia journalism, academic communication and visual storytelling.
Aayushi Karanwal was honoured for establishing her identity in body positivity, modelling, public relations and image management while overcoming personal and professional challenges.
The Chairman’s Special Award for Social Service was presented to Tabassum Khan for more than two decades of work in women’s and children’s welfare, maternal health, nutrition, sanitation and health awareness.
Former Union Minister of State for Home Subodh Kant Sahay was the chief guest. Eminent politicians Harkesh Bahadur and Anil Shastri were also present. The function was presided over by former Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha Dr Yogendra Narayan.
Organised in memory of Dr Rama Saharia, the awards aim to recognise individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to society and nation-building. The ceremony celebrated the achievements of women working across diverse fields and highlighted the importance of inclusive opportunities for all.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by India Tomorrow / September 08th, 2026
Started as a local bi-weekly newspaper, Madinah soon commanded a massive subcontinent-wide circulation. While most newspapers at the time focused on major colonial urban centres such as Lahore, Delhi or Calcutta, Madinah instrumentalised its place of inception—Bijnor—as a political shield.
‘Madinah,’ a bi-weekly newspaper founded in 1912 by Mohammad Majeed Hasan, began in his courtyard in the small qasbah of Bijnor in the Northwest United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh). Its inception is later recounted in a dream narrative published in Madinah’s silver jubilee edition in 1939, which describes how Hasan dreamt of “a bright moon shining in the sky, being eclipsed by another moon appearing from behind and drifting away from it, becoming brighter as the dream continued.”
Hasan had been working as a journalist in Lahore while also preparing for a career as a judge. He is said to have had the dream shortly after abandoning his training and returning to Bijnor to continue working for the family newspaper Sahifa, whose modest readership had already begun to dwindle. Hasan later interpreted the dream as a sign that he should start his own newspaper, symbolised by a new shining moon.
Hasan’s first wife, Muhtarma Kaneez Fatimah, whose altruistic nature and firm belief in his venture compelled her to help him start the paper, sold her jewellery to support it. She later proved to be an intelligent and capable assistant in the newspaper’s production, despite being unable to read or write.
It was she who inspired the newspaper to include a separate women’s section named Akhbar-i-Nisvan on one of its last pages. The section frequently appeared during the newspaper’s first three years, from 1912 to 1915, and was intended to serve the interests of Muslim women by including editorials and creative pieces written by both men and women.
Soon, the paper had distinctly identified itself among its audience by creating a space for Muslim women, with a special focus on mothers, to discuss their issues through genres such as poetry and fiction.
The unlikely epicentre: importance of the Qasbah
Started as a local bi-weekly newspaper, Madinah soon commanded a massive subcontinent-wide circulation. While most newspapers at the time focused on major colonial urban centres such as Lahore, Delhi or Calcutta, Madinah instrumentalised its place of inception—Bijnor—as a political shield. In the same year as Madinah’s inception, Maulana Azad, at the age of 23, started the paper Al-Hilal in Calcutta, which was lauded among the Muslim elite and others for its publishing style and genre, soon reaching a pinnacle of readership.
In contrast, Madinah’s unique approach, which embraced the values of the gentry while also appealing to a broad readership beyond the traditional urban elite, distinguished the paper from the incessant urban cynicism that was becoming a prevalent theme throughout the landscape of production. Due to better readership and the greater availability of resources in urban areas, similar endeavours to Madinah redirected themselves to these spaces.
In its founding years, Madinah also addressed British officials, adopting varying strategic and bargaining stances against surveillance and strict government policies through explicit deference to colonial authorities. For instance, Hasan, the proprietor of the newspaper, cited the Ijazat (permission) of the Magistrate and Collector of Bijnor in its inaugural issue. This attentiveness to British intelligence provided the necessary immunity required for the functioning of the newspaper, unlike Azad’s Al-Hilal, which came under heavy scrutiny from the colonial government and had to cease publication by the end of 1914.
Newspapers in urban centres, such as Awadh Akhbar, persisted in their efforts to speak to a broad audience delineated more by language and culture than by religion, while papers such as Madinah reinforced an already rich discursive tradition surrounding religion and identity in the social crevices known as qasbahs (small towns). They also engaged with contested political themes debated by scholars and leaders, including the shaping of early narratives of separatism and communalism among Indian Muslims.
The success of Madinah can be attributed to the spatio-temporal advantages of the qasbah, which can be defined as a place of bureaucratic and market significance where a Muslim minority or majority lived alongside populations from other communities, alongside an influential enclave of intellectual vivacity and economic and political importance for Muslims. Scholar M. Raisur Rahman described qasbahs as “an alternative site for contestation with strong autonomous networks of culture, literature and religion”, while simultaneously defining them as a ‘unique space’ and a ‘microcosm of larger idealized national life’.
These spaces have been significantly important sites in the history of South Asian culture, shaping identities and literary traditions while remaining distinct from the typologies of urban environments, where modernity had already seeped through the sutures of cultural exchanges with the outside world.
Madinah and its role in politics
The political trajectory of Madinah transformed profoundly during the period of World War I, following the Balkan Wars. The paper broadened its purview by juxtaposing the localised ethos and culture of the qasbah with larger international crises, particularly the imminent dismantling of the Ottoman Empire.
Navigating the intricacies of a contested political landscape, Madinah supposedly guarded a global Islamic consciousness through its promotion of the Khilafat Movement and its shared affiliation with Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Consequently, its support for the Indian National Congress and its anti-separatist stance against Jinnah became apparent, aligning with Jamiat’s idea of Composite Nationalism, as Madinah continued to anchor itself in the secular, anti-colonial bedrock of Urdu journalism.
According to scholar Gyanendra Pandey, Madinah served as a vital barometer of Muslim public opinion across this shifting timescape. Driven by the ideological synergy of Hindu-Muslim unity during the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat movements, the publication commanded an astounding peak circulation of 12,500 copies by 1922. However, this radical nationalism invited severe repercussions from the colonial state, notably resulting in the paper being banned in Punjab following its courageous and explicit reporting on the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Following the ban, the paper was relaunched in August 1919 under a new name—Yasrab (Madinah in Arabic)—as an act of strategic defiance against the colonial government, with a couplet from Iqbal:
Khāk-i Yasrab az do ‘ālam khūshtar ast, Ā’e khunak shahre ke ānjā dilbar ast
(The dust of Madinah is better than both worlds, How wonderful is the city where the beloved is.)
As the landscape of production became increasingly fragmented by communal cynicism and the mass political momentum of the early 1920s waned, the paper witnessed a decline in readership, with circulation dipping to 6,500 in 1927 and further to 6,000 by 1931.
Despite this dwindling circulation, Madinah remained a formidable and persistent critic of communal separatism throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Engaging with the contested political themes of the era, the paper sought to dismantle the early narratives of the All-India Muslim League. Pandey highlights a remarkably bold editorial from the 1930s that dismissed the League as being “neither dead nor alive”, asserting that its existence was confined merely to “the brain and mind of Mr. Jinnah”.
By 1942, the newspaper had effectively transformed into an open town hall, enabling ordinary citizens to debate and largely resist the looming Pakistan movement from within the landscape of the qasbah.
The script and scripture
The prevalent Urdu script, Nastaliq, which had been used throughout South Asia for centuries and was imported from Persia, featured intricate details, ornamentation and a complex structural form forged through the meticulous amalgamation of the Naskh and Ta’liq calligraphic traditions. It became the most recognisable Urdu script and developed strong cultural and ideological ties with the Urdu language. However, due to the rise of globalisation and the growing demand to produce literature for the public, it became increasingly difficult to produce works in the script lithographically on a mass scale. By the end of the 1970s, Nastaliq began to advance with the help of Mirza Jamil Ahmad, who created more than 20,000 combinations to bring the script into the digital world under the name Noori Nastaliq.
By the time the digitisation process began, Madinah was already out of business, shutting down its press with its last issue in 1976. During the seven decades that the paper survived, its editors had no keys to the press and no screens to reflect upon. Instead, the issues of Madinah were produced solely by hand, by calligraphers and artists alike.
The Urdu script Nastaliq had been established as the standard for almost every copy of the holy book Quran in South Asia since the Mughal period. By the time Madinah began using the same script as its standard, it already carried connotations of purity, holiness and divinity within the cultural landscape. Combined with the organic practice of producing it by hand rather than by machine, the paper was considered by its readers to embody a deliberate resistance against illegitimate mechanisation and the rising industrialisation of the subcontinent, curating a new political discourse based on the cultural symbolism of the script.
By using and retaining lithographic practices in an era when other papers were increasingly relying on mechanical typography for efficiency, Nastaliq was perceived as a tactile and handcrafted discipline that preserved the inherent spirit of prose, shielding the paper’s contributions from the mechanical and indifferent processes of Western print capitalism.
The inevitable descent
By the 1940s, Madinah had begun engaging in intense print debates with the supporters and proponents of pro-Muslim League newspapers and writers, arguing in a polemical fashion that religion could not be the sole determinant of a nation’s survival. Despite the paper’s persistent efforts to resist the pro-League and separatist stance, it witnessed the partition of the Indian subcontinent into two parts. The social capital of Madinah was on the verge of collapse, as the paper saw affluent members of the Muslim community, who had constantly contributed to its production and editorials, leave for the other side of the border.
The Language Act of 1951 became a huge blow to the publishing house of Madinah, as Hindi was soon adopted as the state language in Uttar Pradesh, mandating officials and government offices to maintain all data in Hindi and extensively replacing Urdu in institutions under the newly formed Indian government. Although the apparent marginalisation of the paper’s foundational language and the loss of its social capital were significant blows in the paper’s history, they were unable to overshadow its continuing legacy.
Madinah, managing to survive, remained a prominent, albeit ageing, symbol of pre-Partition nationalist Muslim political identity, advocating for the preservation of Urdu heritage amid the growing socio-political shifts in Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, it continued to struggle against declining circulation as newer, faster-printed typographic dailies overtook the market. Its reports on the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the creation of Bangladesh vindicated the paper’s historical assertion that religion alone could not hold a nation together, while it also continued reporting on rising communal tensions in the country.
The prodigious endeavour was about to culminate in the years following the Indo-Pakistani War. Near the end of its operational life, the paper’s traditional lithographic format and qasbah roots struggled to attract younger, urbanised readers. The deteriorating health of Hasan finally caught up with him, leading to his death in 1972. The handling of the newspaper remained in the hands of Hasan’s family until its last editor, Syed Hasan, finally ceased publication, quietly closing the press in 1975.
References
Jones, J. (2023). Megan Eaton Robb: Print and the Urdu Public: Muslims, Newspapers, and Urban Life in Colonial India. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021; pp. xi + 247. Journal of Religious History, 47, 151–153. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12917
Abduhu, G. R. (1973). The Educational Ideas of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Sterling Publishers.
Rahman, M. Raisur. (2014). “Beyond Centre-Periphery: Qasbahs and Muslim Life in South Asia.” South Asian History and Culture, 5, 163–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/19472498.2014.883762.
Adiba, a research scholar from the Department of Physics, AMU, receiving the Best Poster Award at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025
Aligarh:
Adiba, a research scholar from the Department of Physics, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has brought laurels to the University by winning the Best Poster Award at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025, organised by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. The prestigious event was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
The conclave, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was supported by thirteen ministries and departments of the Government of India, showcasing the nation’s growing emphasis on innovation and scientific advancement.
Adiba received the award from Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, DST, in the presence of Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, along with several eminent scientists and leaders of India’s science and technology ecosystem.
Out of over 1,000 entries received from across the country, 100 were shortlisted for presentation at the conclave. From these, only five participants were selected for the top honours.
Adiba’s award-winning poster, titled “Bipolar Resistive Switching in Forming-Free, Flexible, and Transparent ReRAM Devices”, showcased her pioneering research on resistive switching mechanisms for neuromorphic and in-memory computing applications – a key area in next-generation electronic devices.
Expressing her gratitude, Adiba said, “It’s an honour to be recognised for my research on such a prestigious platform graced by leading scientists. I am deeply thankful to my supervisor, Prof. Tufail Ahmad, for his constant guidance and support.”
The achievement marks another proud moment for AMU, underscoring the university’s strong contribution to cutting-edge scientific research and innovation.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards>Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / November 11th, 2025
Asma Gulzar (Left) in Indo-Arabic dress with another model
New Delhi :
“Asma Gulzar isn’t just designing clothes—she’s designing her own path. A mind that refuses limits and a heart that thrives on passion. Keep creating, keep inspiring,” reads a social media post from one of the world’s leading fashion designers.
Today, Asma Gulzar is a prominent name in the Indo-fusion fashion space. Her stores in Delhi showcase a blend of Indo-Western and Indo-Arab designs, reflecting her distinctive aesthetic.
Her latest venture is a signature perfume from her brand, launched in Delhi during her annual Dawat-e-Iftar. The event has become one of the capital’s most talked-about Iftar gatherings, attended by eminent citizens, religious leaders, and fashion icons.
Asma Gulzar receiving SMSE award from industrialist Kumarmangalam Birla
“Life is a blessing,” says the celebrity designer, whose journey has been marked by resilience and determination.
Four years ago, Asma was diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening illness. “I was devastated and kept asking, ‘Why me?’ But soon I gathered myself and decided to face the disease with positivity and mindfulness,” she told Anjali Ada in an interview for Awaz-the Voice.
Following surgery, she underwent treatment for nearly two and a half months. “Initially, a family member would accompany me. Then I decided I must fight it alone.”
Asma Gulzar receiving an award from Dharmendra
She began visiting the hospital by herself. “After each session, I would pack the drip bags attached to my body into a plastic bag and hide it under my dress. From the hospital, I would go straight to my store in a nearby mall,” she recalled.
That same indomitable spirit defines how Asma runs her business today.
Her designs have found their way into Bollywood wardrobes, with celebrities such as Malaika Arora, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Pooja Batra, Celina Jaitly, and Shama Sikander, among others, wearing her creations.
Beyond commercial success, she has earned artistic recognition as well. Many in the industry look up to her for guidance. She has collaborated with international production houses, including serving as lead designer for BollyGoods Edition 2. She also played a key role in the Asian Trunk Show in London and has appeared on BBC London.
Asma Gulzar
For Asma, becoming a designer was never just about formal training at the National Institute of Fashion Technology. “Design is in my blood,” she says.
Growing up in Lucknow, she was particular about what she wore. She would brief the neighbourhood tailor—“Masterji”—in detail about her designs. “I even made him promise not to share my designs with anyone, not even my sister,” she recalls with a smile.
She believes creativity is innate. “You can see it in every corner of my home,” she says.
As a designer, her priority has always been to stand out. Interestingly, during her fashion shows, audiences often end up ordering the outfit she herself is wearing, rather than the ones showcased on models.
Asma Gulzar with actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood
Today, Asma runs a full-fledged business and manages a factory. “I started working at 17 and have been in this field for 20 years. It wasn’t easy,” she says.
She interned with Manish Malhotra, a crucial step in her journey. “In our industry, no matter how many degrees you have, unless you’ve worked with established names, it’s difficult to be taken seriously.”
While she acknowledges that today’s designers benefit from social media and artificial intelligence tools, she has clear advice: “Be original. Never copy designs. Step out of your comfort zone to gain exposure.”
Contrary to common perceptions about Muslim women facing barriers in unconventional careers, Asma says she received unwavering support from her family. “Some relatives and members of the community disapproved of a young Muslim girl taking up fashion and even modelling her own designs. But my family never let that overshadow my ambitions.”
She is the recipient of many awards including the one instituted by ther government for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, and from the bodies which focus of women of substance.
Asma Gulzar with actor Nushrratt Bharuccha
She credits her grandmother for shaping her outlook. “She always told me never to give up. I live by three D’s—Determination, Dedication, and Discipline—and they have guided me throughout.”
Running a factory, she admits, is no easy task for a woman. “I had no prior experience. I started with just a sewing machine in my garage.”
Today, her brand has a global footprint, and she is planning to launch an exclusive menswear line. Her design philosophy remains rooted in her tagline: “Original beauty with elegance and comfort.”
Deeply spiritual, Asma believes her journey has been guided by faith. “God has held my hand through it all,” she says, adding that success is never possible without divine blessings.
See the full Interview:
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Success Story / by Aasha Khosa / April 08th, 2026
Nabeela Khan, a B.Sc. Biochemistry student from the Women’s College at AMU.
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) continues to make headlines, not just in academics but also in sports. Nabeela Khan, a B.Sc. Biochemistry student from the Women’s College at AMU, played a pivotal role in leading Uttar Pradesh to a gold medal at the prestigious Federation Cup 2025 Roller Skating Derby Championship held in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Representing Team Uttar Pradesh, Nabeela demonstrated outstanding skill and determination throughout the tournament. Her performance was instrumental in securing strong victories during the pool stage, including a dominant 44–11 win over Tamil Nadu. In the final, her team put up an equally impressive show, defeating the host team Rajasthan 26–12 to clinch the championship title.
Adding further pride to the university, Syeda Laiba Ali, a recent Class X graduate from AMU, was also part of the victorious state team. Her selection highlights AMU’s growing emphasis on promoting women’s participation in sports and nurturing young talent.
Nabeela’s selection to the state team followed a standout performance during a 10-day intensive training camp in Mohali in 2024. Her speed, consistency, and strategic play caught the attention of national selectors. No stranger to competitive success, Nabeela has already won five medals on the National Roller Derby Circuit, including three golds.
Remarkably, she balances her athletic pursuits with academic excellence. Nabeela has cleared the NEET examination twice, showcasing her dedication to both sports and studies. Her journey reflects the holistic environment AMU fosters—where students are encouraged to pursue excellence in all spheres.
With achievements like these, AMU is reinforcing its reputation as a nurturing ground for talent, empowering women like Nabeela and Laiba to shine on national platforms. Their success stories continue to inspire the next generation of student-athletes at the university. — With Agencies Inputs
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Women / by Muslim Mirror Desk / July 10th, 2025
That women’ s bodies and choice of clothing are ostracized and politicized, is not new discourse. Much discussion on the subject has ensued in recent decades by liberals, feminists, progressives and conservatives alike. Add to that visible religious practices, such as head covers (Hijab) and face veiling (Niqab) among Muslim women, and the scrutiny is further exponentialized. So much so, that it disrupts the principles of liberal and western feminists, and suddenly women’s rights to choose what they want to wear begins to be rephrased, and women’s agency to choose to cover themselves is questioned and looked down upon as ignorance or backwardness. As such, Muslim women who practice various degrees of visible modesty, from Hijab to Niqab navigate feelings of discomfort, unwelcome, as well as (c)overt violence when accessing public spaces, including schools, workplaces, markets, restaurants and more. They are often perceived as beings without agency and intellect, and far removed from the mainstream intellectual public realm. Their choice to dress themselves in accordance with their religious and spiritual goals makes their presence in public unwelcome and politicized.
In this article, through interviews with three Niqab-observing Muslim women who have successfully curated , established, and operate their own faith-based businesses primarily selling products through digital means,we draw attention not only on the discomfort and challenges faced by Muslim women in public spaces and traditional office workplaces, but we also highlight the agency embodied by these women to pursue their professional goals in accordance with their personal religious beliefs.
Residing and operating their businesses in India, our interviewees – Kehkashan, Asma Nafis Ansari and Mantasha– have been able to capitalize on the growing adaptation of digital technologies in recent years and produced workspaces for their businesses that offer them the safety and flexibility to pursue their multifaceted aspirations holistically. Rather than waiting for space to be given to them or created for them, they have taken the initiative upon themselves, and are doing so with grit, faith and vision. In doing so, they not only benefit themselves, but also provide employment opportunities, inspiration, and alternative workplace options to others who may find themselves facing similar challenges of discomfort in the public realm.
Faith as an anchor
For these three muslim women, faith is not just a silent actor, but the compass that guides their journeys. Kehkashan, who co-founded ‘Shop Taaseen’ with her business partner Saida Moin, says that they started with a small product, an Umrah dua card in 2024. Today, Shop Taaseen offers a range of faith-based lifestyle products—designed to make Islamic knowledge and reminders part of everyday routines, especially for young Muslims in India. Early on in her academic life, Kehskashan says, she recognized a desire in her to create something of her own but did not know what it would be. She describes herself as someone who has always leaned into creativity with a strong sense of self – “Whatever I do, I want it to be for the sake of Allah.” she shares. That clarity guided her decisions, especially when the spaces around her were not accommodating to her identity. When asked what helped her stay rooted in her vision, Kehkashan said, “the Niqab became my north star. It shaped how I wanted to show up in the world.”
Kehkashan co-founder of Shop Taaseen
Similar to Kekhashan, our second interviewee, Asma Nafis Ansari, founder of ANA, a modest wear brand, spoke of her strong aesthetic sense, shaped by her training at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Kolkata. As a student at NIFT, Asma developed a signature style for her designs over the years, eventually winning her school’s Graduation Award in her final year, for her knitwear collection inspired by the mid-20th century style, Brutalism. Before launching ANA, Asma began a more intentional journey of reconnecting with the Qur’aan. It was during her study of Surah An-Nur, she says, that her personal understanding of purdah or veiling/modesty deepened. “That connection with the Qur’aan gave me clarity…” she says, “… I didn’t just want to work in fashion —I wanted to create something deeply rooted in modesty and meaning.” Today, ANA is not just a clothing brand, but a value-aligned space for modest fashion.
Asma Nafis Ansari the founder of ANA.
Our third interviewee, Mantasha, who holds a postgraduate degree in development communication from Jamia Millia Islamia, launched Shaheen Hijabs after realizing that mainstream, traditional workspaces would not be welcoming of her niqab. After post-graduation, she accepted a position in the development sector that involved extensive fieldwork. While her supervisor remained supportive, she realized that navigating public-facing roles as a Niqabi came with quiet, persistent tensions. “In that environment, personal identity played a critical role…” she reflects, “… people advised me to remove my niqab temporarily—saying it was not obligatory. But no matter how practical their advice sounded, I could not bring myself to do it.” She underscores that, “My niqab is not just a piece of cloth, it is a reflection of my faith.” What followed was a phase of uncertainty, reflection, and quiet resistance. Eventually, she decided to start something of her own and launched Shaheen Hijabs.
Mantasha, the owner of Shaheen Hijabs
For these women, faith is not just their religious belief. It is the guiding principle in their work. They refused to be reduced to stereotypes or forced into palatable molds, and instead have each chosen to build businesses that reflect their aspiration, purpose, religious, spiritual, and personal values.
(In)visible Practices of Faith
For Muslims, religious faith is embodied and practiced in a myriad of ways. Some aspects remain quietly held within—like Taqwa (consciousness of God) or Tawakkul (trust in divine will) – are inward practices that guide one’s principles.
However, there are other religious practices that present more visibly, like offering Salah or dressing modestly in accordance with religious guidelines. Similarly, for many Muslim women who adorn the hijab or niqab, their choice to do so is rooted in faith, devotion and identity.
For Kehkashan, the tension between her visible and invisible religious practices became apparent during a fellowship she had joined before Shop Taaseen. She recalls, “Her cohort of Fellowes were mostly non-Muslim, but they were respectful and very welcoming towards me. I felt seen.” But that feeling did not last long for her. She goes on to say, “[However,] The founder would question my practices, compare me to other Muslims. Many times I was subjected to tokenism disguised as inclusion.” She says that her choice to wear the niqab was repeatedly framed as a limitation – “I was told that niqab will hinder my growth. That it would isolate me and hold me back professionally.” It was in these moments of subtle exclusion — more than overt rejection —that she became more certain that her faith would not be negotiable.
In such ways, niqab-practicing women face exclusion, rejection, humiliation and suppression in traditional workplaces, particularly from those in higher and more powerful positions. These unwelcoming experiences inevitably discourage women from either practicing their faith wholeheartedly, or pursuing their professional aspirations wholeheartedly, pushing them to pick between one or the other.
In Asma’s story, we see a higher degree of exclusion from the public realm. After her graduation from NIFT, Asma was placed at a company in Gurgaon along with two other peers. The three of them then began to look for housing in the vicinity of their new workplace. Through an online portal, they found a potential apartment, and one of her two peers visited the flat, viewed it, and sent a video of the apartment to Asma. Satisfied with the place, Asma and her peers agreed to put down a deposit on the flat. Asma emphasizes that the management knew that someone named ‘Asma’, a common Muslim name, would be moving in. However, when she arrived with her sister at the apartment on a rainy day, they were stopped at the gate and denied entry because of their appearance as veiled Muslim women. “There are many Muslims here… ” the guard told her, “… but they do not dress like you.” It did not matter that she was a skilled designer or that she was simply looking for a place to live. Her Niqab and possibly her Abaya/Burqa ascribed her a communal and/or political identity, and that identity was decidedly excluded . She recalls being told, “If you want to live here, you can’t wear these things.” In that moment, Asma became a symbol of something “other,” something unwanted. Eventually, Asma had to find other housing accommodations. This is the quiet violence many veiled Muslim women face: being tolerated only if they erase or soften visible parts of their identity. It is an expectation that to belong, one must visibly look less Muslim or act less Muslim, and appear more as everyone else. This kind of politics of visibility relies on the erasure of visible culture and tradition that is not just harmful to Muslims, but all social groups and cultures that present more visibly. These stories give us an insight into the direct co-relations between degrees of unwelcome in public space and degrees of visible practice of religious faith. Therefore, much dialogue is needed on the reception of visible practices of faith in a society that portrays itself as a democratic and egalitarian one.
Agency X (Niqabi) Women
Women’ s struggles for agency are multifold. On the one hand, historically, women have had to fight for the right to vote, to be in the workforce, for banking rights, financial freedom, and more. On the other hand, women who exercise agency over their lives have to deal with persistent undermining of their achievements and independent decision making. This kind of undermining is further exacerbated for Niqabi Muslim women, with the most common assumption made about them that they wear it on orders from a male member of family – like a father, husband, or brother – rather than of their own convictions. They are often presumed to be voiceless, passive, or lacking autonomy. To be visibly Muslim, for veiling women, is to constantly push back against the erasure of one’s intellect and agency.
The veil has widely been painted as a symbol of restriction and oppression. Like the other two interviewees, Asma rejects this thinking and instead describes her choice to veil as an expression of deep personal identity. “People see me with respect,” she says, describing how clients and collaborators from across India engage with her during business travel. Her presence, veiled, carries authority. But that authority is also questioned and undermined by others. For instance, at an award ceremony where she was being honored as women entrepreneur of the year, a senior government official turned to her husband and asked, “She is doing such good work, why have you made her cover her face? “, to which her husband responded, “This is her choice. It wasn’t imposed on her by me.” This attitude is not uncommon, and is reflective of how, even in spaces meant to celebrate her success, the assumption of male control and female subservience still lingers. These narratives uncover deeper problems concerning women’s rights, often held by those with saviour complexes, without a true commitment to the cause. It victimizes the Muslim woman and villainizes the Muslim man, framing the problem as ‘saving muslim women from muslim men’. Not only does it misrepresent social issues, it further exacerbates the actual problems Muslim women face by consciously ignoring them. Furthermore, in denying women their proven potential, it highlights the discomfort society still holds about women who achieve success while staying true to their self and not following orders set by and within patriarchal frameworks – that a woman can be successful and devout, that she can lead and be veiled, that she can dress in faith and still possess sharp, unshakeable agency.
Although this article highlights the stories of three Niqab-wearing Muslim women, similar experiences are faced by the broader veiling, Muslim women community. From unwelcoming experiences to rejections, Niqabi women are forced to navigate a number of identity-based hindrances in their personal, professional, and spiritual journeys.
To compensate for their perceived incompetence, many feel forced to overperform, overachieve in comparison to their peers for the same level of acceptance.
Our three interviewees have shown that they do not seek validation in the language or frameworks of others. Their choices are not compromises—their decisions anchored in faith, and carried out with purpose. Agency, for them, is not about abandoning identity to gain access. It is about bringing their whole selves into every space—and reshaping what power, intellect, and leadership look like. What sets these women apart is not just their ability to navigate exclusionary spaces, but their refusal to be defined by them. In centering their faith, they have not only claimed their agency but have also carved out paths of success that are deeply rooted in service to their communities. Women like Asma, Kehkashan, and Mantasha are writing a different story—one where agency is not hidden beneath their veil, but asserted through it.
Kehkashan, through Shop Taaseen, is cultivating a space of belonging. The Taaseen Tribe, a growing digital initiative, brings together Muslim women from across the walks of life to reflect, learn, and connect.
It is a community that echoes Kehkashan’s own journey—a space for young Muslim women to feel seen, intellectually engaged, and emotionally supported.
Asma, from her small town of Mau in Uttar Pradesh, established ANA, that not only reaches customers across India and abroad but also creates livelihood for a team of about 30, consisting of kaarigars, accountants, managers, and assistants. In a world that often parades notions of diversity and inclusivity, but then almost exclusively produces urban, English-speaking workspaces and equates them with success, Asma’s journey redefines what inclusivity looks like. ANA prides itself in maintaining a balance of 1:1 ratio of men to women across their workforce. She is proof that one can build while holding fast to faith, staying rooted in place, and uplifting others along the way.
Mantasha’s story is one of resilience, where she was willing to risk uncertainty to preserve her identity and stay true to herself, rather than diluting her identity to fit in. With no prior business experience, she started Shaheen Hijabs teaching herself the ropes of the business along the way. “I rushed into it… ” she says. “… there were mistakes. I’m still learning. But I’m doing it in a way that doesn’t require me to compromise on who I am or how I want to live my faith.”
So, what then does it mean, to navigate public spaces where one is made hyper-aware of themselves, simply for living in accordance with their faith, which in a democracy, is apparently their fundamental right? What does it mean to carry the weight of assumptions—about agency and intellect—before one even speaks? What could our society look like if we stopped incessantly asking Muslim women to prove their worth, and instead, started paying attention to how they are already building, leading, and transforming the world around them? And more importantly, what could our society look like if we stopped tokenizing identity in the name of (pseudo) diversity and (pseudo) inclusivity, and started creating truly inclusive and democratic spaces for all?
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About the Authors
Aazeen Ghaus is a Development Communication practitioner & freelance writer, based in India. Saba Fatima is an architect based in Albuquerque, USA. She is an incoming PhD student (Fall 2025) in the Built Environments program at the University of Washington, Seattle
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Exclusive Reports> Positive Story> Women / by Aazeen Ghaus and Saba Fatima / July 03rd, 2025
Hina Saifi’s remarkable journey from rural roots to Climate Change Champion is an inspiring example of empowering change.
Hina Saifi pioneering Global Change Advocate reshaping rural realities
A youthful dreamer and a climate change activist named Hina Saifi has lit the route to long-term reform in the heart of Uttar Pradesh. She was born and reared in Sisola, a humble village in Meerut district. Her journey from a low-income family to a trailblazing advocate for climate education and action exemplifies the spirit of leadership that crosses borders. Hina Saifi’s United Nations association in the campaign known as #WeTheChangeNOW led her to be part and face of the campaign among the list of 17 climate change leaders.
Early Life and Education
Hina Saifi, Meerut’s resident, hails from Sisola, where education for girls is a formidable challenge.
Hina, the young climate leader, is currently pursuing MBA from the Bharti Institute of Technology, Meerut. She has reached this stage in life with her true dedication and willingness to break the stereotypical barriers of her village and change the existing mindsets.
Considering the situation of Sisola, an underdeveloped village in Uttar Pradesh, Hina couldn’t even imagine pursuing her studies post-8th grade, over a decade ago.
Managing to achieve complete school education, along with higher studies, Hina has showcased her limitless power and outshined on a national level for Women Climate Crusaders among 16 other women.
Hina Saifi, Women Climate Collective’s crucial member, has made a remarkable turn in her life. Her trajectory seemed predestined by the harsh realities of her village, where education was a luxury and the pursuit of higher learning was rare.
However, against all odds, Hina’s mother recognized the value of education and facilitated her journey to knowledge.
At such a young age, her thoughts align with personal as well as environmental growth and sustainability, which sets her apart from today’s youth.
“Poverty is rampant in my underdeveloped village, and child labor is common here. I, too, was advised to stop studying after I finished the eighth standard. However, I stuck to my decision to study further. To support myself through school and to help my family, I also worked part-time in a football factory”.
—– Hina Saifi
Hina Saifi: Championing Climate Education
22-year-old Hina Saifi’s journey into climate advocacy began with a realization that education was the cornerstone of addressing the multifaceted challenges troubling her village.
Armed with this insight, she set out on a quest to motivate children to attend school, thereby causing a small wave of awareness.
Partnering with local NGOs and the ‘Women Climate Collective’ (WCC), she found her voice in discussions about climate change, clean energy, and sustainability.
She was the first one from her village to move to Lucknow and be part of the Climate Agenda Initiative 2018.
Proud to be a member of Women Climate Collective, she supports the notion that addressing the climate crisis and fighting climate change is a collective responsibility of the people and not just that of the government alone.
Hina has also achieved an international recognition by her association with #WetheChangeNOW campaign by United Nations(UN) in India. The campaign showcases the climate based solutions devised by 17 young Indians that are innovative, sustainable and equitable, further focusing on strengthening engagements with governments and society.
The Hina Saifi Chronicles of Grassroots Change
Hina’s endeavors extended beyond education, culminating in the ‘Suraj Se Samriddhi’ campaign, launched by herself that spotlights solar power’s potential and advocates for cleaner energy solutions.
Her grassroots approach, encompassing workshops, speeches, and dialogues, has led to tangible change: cleaner streets, waste-free water bodies, and enhanced greenery. She acknowledges the intrinsic link between education and climate, recognizing their mutual capacity for transformation.
Hina’s belief in micro-behaviors as agents of monumental transformation underscores her leadership philosophy. By engaging with the village Pradhan and initiating innovative projects, she showcases the potential of individual actions to revolutionize communities.
Her involvement in the ‘100% Uttar Pradesh’ initiative reflects her dedication to the larger cause, emphasizing that collective progress stems from local commitment.
Hina Saifi: Empowering Change Through Climate Advocacy
Hina Saifi’s journey, stemming from her village’s challenges, inspires hope for a greener future. As a catalyst for change, her efforts stimulate broader dialogues concerning the representation of women’s voices in climate advocacy. Through platforms like the Women Climate Collective, her voice resonates beyond geographical boundaries, exemplifying the power of unity in tackling global challenges. From her humble origins in Sisola to her pivotal role within the Collective, Hina embodies the leadership needed for a brighter tomorrow. Her story showcases how determination and knowledge can bring about significant change.
source: http://www.leaderbiography.com / Leader Biography / Home> Featured> Featured Women / by Rahul Iyer
Zillur Rahman, a professor, poet and hakim, has established a museum-cum-library in Aligarh to preserve books and artefacts that tell the story of Delhi of yore.
PIONEER: A bust of Ibn Sina, a physician and philosopher, who lived over a thousand years ago, at the Ibn Sina Academy in Aligarh
Nestled in the heart of the city of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, is Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences, named after famous scholar of philosophy and medicine Abu Ali Ibn Sina (980 -1037), who lived over a thousand years ago.
Located at Tijara House, the non-profit, non-government and non-political academy was established in the year 2000 by Professor Syed Hakim Zillur Rahman, an academic and a litterateur from Aligarh.
A one of its kind museum and library, it was aimed at encouraging and promoting researches and studies in medieval sciences, especially Ibn-Sina’s, as well as arts, culture, poetry among other subjects.
Notably, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India gave accreditation to the academy in 2004 and promoted it as a Centre of Excellence in 2008. The professor had a mammoth personal library that he had established in 1960s. After Ibn Sina Academy was born, the library became a part of it.
The specialty of this museum lies in its varied collection that includes sofas, crockery, jewels, armours, stamps, mirrors, outfits of princesses, queens and kings as well as turbans worn during battles by historical legends.
The Zillur Rahman Library houses 32,000 rare books and magazines, 1,100 manuscripts apart from paintings, sketches, citations, artefacts and much more.
RARE: A collection of books on Delhi
The Delhi connection
There are 7,500 books on Delhi of yore in the library, including on poet Iqbal, dictionaries as old as 150 years, authentic diwaan on Ameer Khusrau, books dating back to 1893, on and by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, British Raj–Victorian Era with pictures in lithographs and more.
But considering Delhi is dry without the ‘zikr’ (mention) of the poetic legacy of Asadullah Khan ‘Ghalib’, the library has dedicated a special space for the poet: “Ghalib Study Centre”.
A galaxy in itself, this part has 1,350 rare books in Urdu, Persian, English and Hindi on Ghalib apart from several special issues in different magazines (called risala in Urdu) which are now available only in this museum.
For instance, an important old publication called Sooraj (meaning sun) had special Ghalib edition.
One of the books has illustrations of most of the ghazals he had penned, while in his own Deewan (collection of his authentic shayri) there, Ghalib’s original ghazals had no pictures or illustrations.
MASTERPIECE: The translation of the book written by Hakim Zillur Rahman
One of the most important collections here is a book by renowned author Shakeel ur Rahman called Mirza Ghalib aur Mughaliyaat, which has illustrations from Muraqqa-i-Chughtai, an illustrated selection of Ghalib’s work by AR Chughtai, a renowned artist of early last century. The illustrations are based on an important topic or issue that the poet raised in his couplet (sher).
Rare books with names like Jihad-e-Ghalib, Ghalib Satrung, Soz-e-Ghalib, his letters in Persian and many more ornate the archive.
Additionally, a book called Naqsh-e-Rung from Pakistan which was brought to India by scholar Urdu litterateur and poet professor (late) Shamsur Rehman Farooqui enriches the book shelves.
Tehqeeq-nama Ghalib, Ghalib’s ghazal in Persian called Ghazaliayat-e-Farsi, Ghalib, few rare and special issues of magazines like Shama, Nuqoosh, Hunoon, Taar-e-Nau, film magazines, Al-Ilm, Shayar, Kaarvaan with special edition on Ghalib are the other charms.
A rare pocket-sized edition on Ghalib is a popular one.
Travels to Delhi
Another section on Delhi consists of travels and trips done in Delhi by the authors, travellers and poets of old times. Rare books like Safarnama Dehli and Sair-ul-Manazir provide an inside view of Delhi in the 18th century.
LEGEND: Bust of a renowned Indian physician Charaka at the academy in a section dedicated to physicians and medicinal plants
Also, over 200 rare books on Delhi’s poets (shayars) in Urdu and important personalities form another gallery here. For instance, there is Aslam Parvez’s award-winning book on Bahadur Shah Zafar, and his another one called Meri Dilli. There is also a book on Hamare Zamane Ki Dehli, Charagh-e-Dilli, Dilli Wale by famous author Salauddin, Aalam mein intekhab-e-Delhi among others.
Rare and significant books on personalities include those on Hakim Ajmal Khan, Sir Ross Masood, former India President Zakir Hussain, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Raja Mahendra Pratap and many more.
An entire unit is also devoted to all the journals that came out of Delhi during the War for Independence “and those from late 17th century to beginning of 19th century. The Delhi College was established in 1824, with it, all these journals rose to a great height. These form an enticing collection in the museum,” apprises Aftab Najmi, the coordinator and convener at Ibn Sina Academy.
On enquiring why such a large collection in Urdu finds space here, Professor Rahman adds, “Our own language and culture is much better described only in Urdu and Persian. So, it was very important to have a different section on Urdu to give a peep into what Delhi was in olden times.”
However, countless notable oldest books in English and Hindi on Delhi also enrich the collection on the Capital.
A legacy himself
Professor Zillur Rahman has 56 books to his credit. The subjects are related to Tib (Unani medicine) and Urdu literature. His books on medical sciences with oldest references (100 to 200 years old) are immensely popular. He is also a poet and an ardent admirer of Urdu poets of yore. He has also edited Diwan-e-Ghalib and many books on Urdu shayri. So far, 11 books have been written on him by students from different parts of India and globe in Arabic, Urdu and English. There are two academies, in Meerut and Bhopal, named in his honour. A part of the library has books on Zillur Rahman’s own family and their contribution to academics, medicine, poetry and culture.
For the next generation
On why he decided to make such a rare museum and library under one roof, Rahman says, “I was just a teacher at AMU. I had no money like businessmen to construct roads and hospitals so I decided to build this museum and library to help those who want to study but have neither books nor a place for the same. I want the current generation to know that books on all our glorious histories and personalities were penned in Urdu before 1947.
ICONIC: A portrait of Mirza Ghalib at the library, which boasts of rare works on the Delhi-based poet
“So, our generation has to know Urdu to understand their buzurgs (elders) and what charismatic works they had done. Our current generation, which doesn’t know Urdu, is like a blackboard. Anyone can write anything on it and it doesn’t impact them because they are so ignorant of legacies of their own language.”
Professor Rahman has travelled abroad 44 times. He visited Greece, including its capital Athens, Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan, Spain, Turkey, Germany and other countries.
“I went to Iran 11 times to gather books and study how it has preserved its arts and culture, literature, medicine and environment,” he says adding that children of every country know their mother tongue and can read and write in it.
“India’s children, especially the new Muslim community, is ignorant of its own legacy in Urdu.”
The Ibn Sina Academy has a tremendous collection of Islamic sciences and Islamic medicines. The professor has procured them from across the globe.
“Some are bought, some gifted and some requested and begged for. Hamaare 3,200 hazaar kitaabon mein, Ghalib ka collection jo hamaare paas hai vo duniya mein kisi ke paas nahi hai (No one in the world has the rare collection on Ghalib that we have among our 32,000 books). Even Delhi’s own Ghalib Institute and Ghalib Academy visit us and take photocopies of the rare material they require. We have made our academy work on Delhi’s poets, littérateurs, historical buildings and monuments,” he adds.
Most books, he adds, are from Iran, Samarkand and Bukhara.
“The richest in education, philosophy, medicine and culture is Uzbekistan but it could not present it to the world, the way Iran did.”
Why Delhi in Aligarh?
Why Delhi forms a special section at his library, has its reasons.
“Delhi was always the capital of India, be it during the Mughal, British eras or post-Independence period. So, it has always been not only a melting pot of cultures but also an abode for the best of poets, authors and travellers. The number of academics, authors, sufis, litterateurs, shayars (poets), lovers of arts and music and academic institutions that Delhi had, no other capital in the world has it till date,” he reasons with pride.
To know Delhi better, he suggests books penned by the renowned Dehlvi family.
For instance, there is Dilli jo aik shahar thaa by Shahid Ahmad Dehlvi, who was born in Delhi in 1902.
He wrote extensively on vanishing culture of Delhi which was a symbol of Indo-Muslim culture ruined by violence and blood of the War of Independence. Post Independence, he went to Pakistan and died in 1967.
Waqyaat-e-Darool Hukoomat in three volumes by Bashiruddin Ahmad Dehlvi published from Urdu Academy, Delhi in 1990, and books on 1857 revolution are also there in the academy.
Delhi just got richer by another book by Zillur Rahman — Dilli aur Tibbi Unani which has just come out in Urdu. It is translated in English by Toronto-based Zakaria Virk, titled ‘History of Unani Medicine in Delhi – 17th Century to 20th Century – Biographies of 261 physicians’.
source: http://www.thepatriot.in / The Patriot / Home> Delhi NCR / by Rana Siddiqui Zaman, Delhi NCR / November 15th, 2023
Prof Farah Ghaus, Department of Anatomy, J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University with the Best Indian Golden Personalities Award, 2025
Aligarh:
Prof Farah Ghaus, Department of Anatomy, J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University has been honoured with the Best Indian Golden Personalities Award, 2025 by the Friendship Forum of India, New Delhi.
Prof Ghaus has been chosen for the award for her commitment to advancing educational excellence in India and empowerment through education, and for her relentless pursuit of innovation, creativity and quality of work on the educational landscape.
The award recognises her pivotal role in shaping the future of thousands of students through her deep commitment to educational reforms, mentorship, and for fostering a culture of lifelong learning.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by Radiance News Bureau / January 12th, 2025
‘Patent Man of India’ Prof Shamshad Ali so far bagged seven patents for his multifarious innovations. The professor of engineering at Aligarh Muslim University’s polytechnic is differently abled and keeps underscoring the need for innovation to achieve progress.
Professor of engineering Shamshad Ali at AMU
Aligarh:
Shamshad Ali, a professor of engineering at the polytechnic college of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has become popularly known as Patent Man of India for his multifarious innovations. Prof Shamshad Ali, who after taking classes keeps busy with his inventions, has over seven patents to his credit till now, granted by the Patent Office, Government of India, Delhi.
This differently-abled professor never loses heart and always strives for excellence. Be it teaching students or discovering something new, this physically challenged person’s hard work has become a source of inspiration for other teachers and innovators. Prof Shamshad Ali was granted three patents in 2022 alone.
The professor underscores the need for innovation to achieve progress. In his appeal to students and teaching faculty in the AMU, he said, “Innovation plays an important role in upping the university’s ranking. Discovering new things helps teachers and students. So they should keep on doing new research. I have bagged seven patents so far and two more patents will be granted soon.”
“When someone discovers new things. Then the innovator is supposed to apply and submit application online to Delhi patent office. Thereafter an exam is conducted. If you pass the test, they will grant you patent. If not, then you will have to work on it again. It all depends upon the examiner,” said Prof Shamshad.
source: http://www.etvbharat.in / ETV Bharat / Home> ETV Bharat> Bharat / January 07th, 2023
