Students of the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have earned prestigious academic admissions and professional placements at leading institutions in India and abroad, underscoring the department’s growing reputation in geospatial sciences.
At the international level, Ms Areena has been selected for a PhD programme at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Meanwhile, Mr Md Zaid Qamar has secured admission to the International PhD Programme under the UNESCO Chair in Environment, Resource and Sustainable Development at Parthenope University of Naples, Italy.
On the national front, Mr Ahsan Sayeed has gained admission to the PhD programme in Geomatics at IIT Guwahati. Additionally, Ms Mantasha, Mr Tauheed Ahmad Ansari and Mr Zuhail Abdullah have been selected as Junior Resource Persons at the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee.
The department’s students have also made notable strides in the corporate sector. Ms Shaista Perween has been appointed Assistant Manager at Tata Steel Limited in Jamshedpur, while Ms Juveriya Aqeel has secured a position with WSP in Bengaluru with an attractive remuneration package.
Congratulating the students on their accomplishments, Dr Haris Hasan Khan, Chairman of the department, said the achievements reflect both the students’ dedication and the department’s strong academic and research ecosystem in remote sensing and geospatial sciences.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Education> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / February 12th, 2026
The Uttar Pradesh Chapter of the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) organized an ceremony at Hotel Arif Castle for the recipients of the 4th National Awards for Social Excellence and the 8th National Awards for Excellence in Education from Uttar Pradesh.
Among special guests were senior gastro surgeon Dr. Waliullah Siddiqui from Apollo Hospital and Mirza Mubeen Baig from Gautam Budh Nagar. Distinguished educationist and career counsellor Dr. Amrita Das was to attend as the chief guest but could not participate due to health issues, so former senior bureaucrat Zahra Chatterjee filled the role.
The programme began with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Maulana Muhammad Rehan Qasmi.
The welcome address was delivered by AMP’s Zonal Head for Central Zone, Syed Shoaib. AMP’s State Head, Shaheen Islam, introduced the audience to AMP’s objectives and activities, mentioning that this non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit organization was founded in 2007. Over the years, AMP has been engaged in educational, social, economic, and developmental activities aimed at empowering marginalized communities.
Guest of honour Mirza Mubeen Baig emphasized that working for NGOs is becoming increasingly challenging, and only those organizations that serve selflessly and with sincerity will succeed. He stressed the need for collaboration among serious NGOs to benefit from each other’s experiences.
Dr. Waliullah Siddiqui congratulated the awardees for their contributions to education and social services, highlighting that the responsibility for educating and nurturing children lies with both parents and teachers. In today’s changing times, this responsibility has grown even more significant. He shared personal lessons from his life, crediting his parents for playing a central role in his achievements.
Speaking as the chief guest, retired IAS officer Zahra Chatterjee praised AMP’s work and said that every individual’s contribution is crucial for the nation’s development. She stressed the need to reach out to the last individual to ensure educational awareness and economic stability.
Farooq Siddiqui, Head of AMP’s National Coordination Team, addressed the audience, stating that these awards aim to encourage individuals and organizations committed to transforming the nation through their selfless services. He emphasized the importance of collective efforts and mutual cooperation, noting that the welfare of the country and nation lies in unity and partnership.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Mohammad Mohiuddin, Chapter Head of AMP Lucknow, and the event was hosted by Dr. Sumbul Shakeel.
The recipients of the National Awards for Social Excellence included the Best NGO awardees:
Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust, Institute of Social Harmony and Upliftment.
Among the Change Maker Awardees were:
Professor Dr. Nuzhat Hussain from Lucknow, Dr. Mohammad Mubashir, Sabiha Ahmed, Balbir Singh Maan, Dr. Kaleem Ahmed Khan from Kanpur, Dr. Saba Yunus, Shahid Kamran Khan, Sagheer Khaksar from Balrampur, Dr. Saleem Mohammad Khan and Naseem Ahmed Khan from Aligarh, and Ramesh Chandra Srivastava from Ayodhya.
The recipients of the National Awards for Excellence in Education included:
Professor Mirza Mohammad Sufiyan Baig, Professor Naseem Ahmed Khan, Ausaf Azeem Kirmani from Aligarh, Mohammad Shahid Khan, Dr. Mohammad Shamim, Samiullah Ansari from Kanpur, Chitra Maheshwari from Lucknow, Dr. Roohi, and Maulana Mohammad Rehan Qasmi.
Lifetime Achievement Awardees included senior teacher Sheila Lawrence from Lucknow and Jamaluddin Khan from Kanpur.
A large number of attendees were present at the event, including Dr. Anis Ansari (former IAS), Mohammad Khalid Ashu, Mujtaba Khan, Najm-ul-Hasan Rizvi Najmi, Dr. Uzma Mubashir, Syed Abrar, Rizwan Ansari, Mohammad Zeeshan, Mohammad Imran, Javed Akbar Khan Lodi, Shahenshah Ansari, Fahad Mahmood, Ayesha Mahmood, Alma Siddiqui, Ayesha Alvi, Zaheer Baig, and Aqib Rauf.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by India Tomorrow / September 03rd, 2024
Away from the hustle and bustle of the national capital Delhi, the food lovers gathered in Delhi’s India International Center to discuss the food – delicacies, genres and history – all day. It was for the release of Dr. Tarana Hasan Khan’s book ‘Deg to Dastarkhwan: Stories and Recipes from Rampur.
In this era of pizza, burger, and fast foods, we seems to be forgetting traditions of the Shahi, Mughlai and old delicious food.
Dr. Tarana Hasan Khan is one of the few to write on Dastarkhwan – the Indian cusine. She is also cultural historian.
Dr. Tarana Hasan Khan and her book
Her other book is: The Begum and the Dastan.
Dr. Tarana says It took her three years to cover the forgotten recipes of Rampur for the book. There is a chapter on rice and spices in this book.
Famous food writer Pushpant Pant also participated in the book launch ceremony. The program started with welcome address by Swati Pal, Principal of Janki Devi Memorial College.
She also discussed the problems faced in writing the book on the ‘forgotten foods of Rampur’ were mentioned. Yusuf Saeed and Naseema Naqvi had a long conversation on this subject. This was followed by a discussion on the history of the foods between Dr. Tarana and Pushpant Pant.
Dr. Tarana specially thanked Pushpesh Pant for attending the program and joining the discussion on delicious food. He has written about Pushpent Pant by posting on Twitter:
CM Naim’s translation of 19th-century reformer Ashrafunnisa Begum’s biography was published in 2021. Naim, a translator and scholar of Urdu, died on July 9.
Choudhri Mohammed Naim, aka CM Naim, a prominent scholar of Urdu language and literature, died on July 9 at the age of 89. He was a professor emeritus at the University of Chicago.
Naim was also the founding editor of the Annual of Urdu Studies and Mahfil (now Journal of South Asian Literature), as well as the author of the definitive textbook for Urdu pedagogy in English.
He was born on June 3, 1936, in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh and educated at Lucknow University, Lucknow, Deccan College, Poona, and the University of California, Berkeley. In 1961, he joined the faculty of the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, which he chaired from 1985 to 1991. He retired in 2001. He was a national fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, in 2009, and a visiting professor at the Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in 2003.
Some of his best-known works are Ambiguities of Heritage (1999), Urdu Texts and Contexts (2004), and The Muslim League in Barabanki (2013). He also translated Urdu writings into English some of which are Ghalib’s Lighter Verse (1972), Inspector Matadeen on the Moon: Selected Satires (1994), Curfew in the City (1998), and A Most Noble Life: The Biography of Ashrafunnisa Begum (1840–1903) (2021).
A Most Noble Life: The Biography of Ashrafunnisa Begum (1840–1903)by Muhammadi Begum (1877–1908) is the first complete English translation of Hayat-e Ashraf (1904), the extraordinary story of Ashrafunnisa Begum. Ashrafunnisa, born in a village in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, taught herself to read and write in secret, against the wishes of her elders and prevailing norms. She went on to teach and inspire generations of young girls at the Victoria Girls’ School – the first school for girls in Lahore. Her unusual life was written about with great poignancy by Muhammadi Begum – the first woman to edit a journal in Urdu, the weekly Tahzib-i-Niswan. Muhammadi Begum was a prolific writer of fiction and poetry for adults and children, and instructional books for women during her brief life. She aptly titled the biography Hayat-e Ashraf: it echoes the name of her subject, but also means “the noblest life”. Indeed, both biographer and subject may be described, says Professor CM Naim, as “noble lives”.
The two women, who met by chance at a wedding, instantly developed a strong mutual affinity, which grew into a lifelong bond. In Ashrafunnisa Begum, Muhammadi Begum saw not only the mother she had lost as a child, but also an inspiring role model who had led a principled life of her own making, and shown amazing grace and strength against grave odds.
This annotated translation by CM Naim, an eminent scholar of Urdu literature and culture, also provides the first detailed study of the life and works of its author, Muhammadi Begum, and highlights, in an “Afterword”, two key social issues of the time, women’s literacy and widow remarriage, which remain as relevant today.
In this conversation with writer Githa Hariharan (in 2022), CM Naim spoke of the lives and times of Muhammadi Begum and Ashrafunnisa Begum, their work, and the unique friendship that nurtured both of them.
Let me begin with asking you to comment on the ways in which this slim biography of Ashrafunnisa by Muhammadi Begum dispels the gloomy image of the silent and secluded Muslim woman of the 19th and possibly 20th century.
The trouble, as I see it, lies in the “totality” and “exclusivity” we allow to these claims. In the 19th century, a huge number of Muslim men were not literate, just as a huge number of Muslim women were not secluded, or not any more secluded than the non-Muslim women of the same class, occupation or region. The wives of Muslim weavers and barbers and food-sellers may have kept their faces covered while toiling alongside men but their lives were not secluded the way we assume them to be – rightly – for the women of the upper classes. Then there were the differences we see in Bibi Ashraf’s life. Her family was Shi’ah; the women of the household held weekly majlis where they read out texts from religious books. She lost her mother when she was only eight; otherwise, she would have learnt to read and write the way other girls in the family did. We also see a young Muslim widow, a Pathan, taking up employment with the family as a Qur’an instructress.
I found A Most Notable Life a fascinating entry point into the lives of two women I want to know more about. But I also want to know more about the context of their times and work. Ashrafunnisa’s account of how she learnt to read and write is, for me, the most moving section of the book. She encounters obstacles in learning how to read, but the challenges she faces in learning how to write seem far more severe. I am curious about this. Is it far-fetched to conclude that a writing woman presents a greater threat to the patriarchal establishment, because she assumes the power of an “inscriber” rather than merely being a body (or mind) to be inscribed upon?
The chief obstacles are the wilful grandfather and uncle. The grandfather holds the most authority, and the uncle is more immediately present in the lives of the women in the household. The grandfather is not against female literacy in principle. He willingly allows it until the widowed female teacher gets remarried. That is a worse “sin” in his eyes than reading and writing. But then he considers the fact of his son, Bibi Ashraf’s father, taking up a pesha, a profession – he moved to Gwalior and became a lawyer – an equal threat to his honour. The family’s attitude toward writing is complex. Her grandfather tolerated some girls in the family learning writing from their mothers; her father rejoiced when he learned that Bibi Ashraf could read and write so well, but her uncle became more furious and punitive. I feel writing in the upper classes, where seclusion was more closely observed, was seen as an instrument that could make it possible for women to break out of that seclusion. We should not assume that writing was then considered an integral element of education. Transmission of essential or requisite knowledge to a majority of males and females could be done orally. Or so, arguably, the society believed at the time.
I am amazed by the use of multiple genres by both women – poetry, essays, memoir, biography, novels, stories for children, “instruction” manuals. Was this characteristic of the “educated” of the times, or was it driven by the need to be useful to a range of readers? And would you say that in the case of women, or these two women at least, the autobiographical element links all the genres they make use of?
That’s a very interesting question, and I don’t have a clear answer. I can only assert with some confidence that before the 20th century, most prose writings also contained verses. Very often, these were original verses by the author of the text, alongside quoted verses by well-known or obscure poets. The purpose could have been to emphasise a point by reiteration in a more memorable form, or adding the authority of the past to the point being made. The same is done, for instance, by using proverbs. Nazir Ahmad, the reformist novelist, was a great versifier and public orator. His lectures and long poems at the annual sessions of the organisations he supported were hugely popular. So, anyone who learned to read in those days encountered poetry from day one. And if you had creative impulses, you trained yourself to write verses as well as sentences. In the case of Muhammadi Begum, she was indeed driven by a powerful urge to be useful to other women – her sisters, bahneñ – in particular her contemporaries, i.e. young wives, and girls, and wrote in several genres.
Since the education of women is so crucial in the context of the two women’s lives and work, the writing does a balancing act between the creative and the expression of the self on the one hand, and the didactic on the other. To what extent does such didactic literature – or “instructional books” – differ when authored by men (such as Nazir Ahmad, whose work took up women’s education as well as conduct), and women such as Ashrafunnisa and Muhammadi Begum? My friend, writer and critic Aamer Hussein, writes that “Muhammadi Begum reworks and amends, with affection and insight, the reforms suggested by Nazir Ahmad.” In what ways do the women, Muhammadi in particular, take the project forward, not only as writers, but as journalists, teachers and publishers?
What we now label “didactic fiction” was not thought of as merely instructional by its authors; they meant it to entertain too. It would have been Khel khel meñ kam ki bateñ, “useful words in playtime”. The authors simply called them novels. And this applies to female writers and readers too, until they began to learn English.
As for your core question, I can best answer it by exaggerating my response. Nazir Ahmad, Hali and other male reformists wanted to educate women so that they would be good mothers to their children and proficient in managing their homes. Bibi Ashraf and Muhammadi Begum prize these goals too, but they also prize education as a means of mental and spiritual self-improvement. For better self-expression, even. But the most important thing with Muhammadi Begum is that she lays great emphasis on a commonality of sorts, on a sisterhood of peers. She also wishes to make women proficient beyond her kinfolk, and even beyond the threshold of her own home. To that extent, it may be more the aspiration of an upper-class woman. But it also suggests that for her, female literacy was a given. As indeed it was by that time for the salaried middle-class.
It’s clear that propriety is the framework within which these two women, and others like them, have to work to reap some gains. Keeping this in mind, may I ask you to unpack the word “hayat” for us? The biography is called Hayat-e Ashraf, and you have translated it as A Most Noble Life. I am thinking of the difference in English between “respectable” and “noble” when I ask you to explain “hayat” for those of us who do not know Urdu.
“Unpacking” hayat would require explaining what “life” meant to Muhammadi Begum or to an Urdu writer in the 19th century – a tall order. I can only say that Muhammadi Begum seems to have chosen the most apt title for her book. It echoes the title of Altaf Husain Hali’s iconic biography of Sir Syed, Hayat-i-Javaid (An Everlasting Life), published only three years earlier. Hayat-i-Ashraf can be read as “The Life of Ashraf[unnisa Begum]” or as “An Ashraf Life,” i.e. “A Most Noble Life.” Ashraf is the superlative of sharif, and the latter, of course, is a marker of numerous presumed personal attributes, ranging from nobility of birth to modesty in speech and much more. Muhammadi Begum organised her book in a similar manner: first, a chronological account, followed by short sections on what she considered her subject’s exemplary traits or, as she put it, her “Disposition, Habits and Manners.” Throughout the text, she never fails to remind her readers – her “sisters” – to exert themselves and follow Bibi Ashraf’s example.
Pioneers have to be remembered not only for what they did – given their times – but also in connection with their descendants. Would you speculate on the ways in which Muhammadi opened doors for the Urdu women writers who came after her in the 20th century?
Muhammadi Begum was not the first woman poet in Urdu, nor the first fiction writer. She was, however, the first in several other ways. She was the first woman to edit an Urdu journal and to write on many of the issues that were of great concern to women of her community and class. She also wrote “manuals” for women – on writing letters, on managing the household, or on meeting their peers outside the kinship network. In everything she wrote, she made it clear there were no limits to women’s abilities. And most importantly, she made it clear that women can help each other in discovering and putting to use these abilities. I should emphasise one point here. It was her husband’s dream to publish a journal for sharif women that was also edited by a sharif woman – contra the two journals that had appeared earlier and failed. Mumtaz Ali was a champion of Muslim women’s causes, and he strongly believed in gender equality. No doubt he viewed himself as a wise guide, and never hesitated to publish in the journal his own views on some subjects of concern; but what impressed me was his readiness to give space to opposing views, never adopting a patronising or dismissive tone in his responses.
Coming back to your question, Muhammadi Begum’s journal, Tahzib-i-Niswan, gained wide circulation, though subscriptions were slow in coming. But it soon became the journal of choice for aspiring female writers. Hijab Imtiaz Ali, Qurratulain Hyder and Rasheed Jahan made their debut in its pages. And Ismat Chughtai made her first appearance in print as an excited reporter from Aligarh informing the “Tahzib Sisters” that Rasheed Jahan had completed her medical course. So I think it is not so much the matter of opening doors that makes Muhammadi Begum’s journal important; it is the spirit of confident sisterhood that she identified and fostered.
I don’t want the two women, Ashrafunnisa and Muhammadi, to get lost in the jungle of history though, whether it is the history of women’s education or journalism or literature. I want to pay a tribute to their friendship – which allowed them to have a rich relationship that encompasses a role model, a colleague and a surrogate family. And this despite their age difference, despite one being Sunni and the other, Shia. Would you say their friendship gives an edge to their interest in writing memoir and biography?
Their close friendship, their deep trust in each other, was to my mind the most thought-provoking and inspiring thing about them. No doubt, they both had very painful childhoods – having lost their mothers at a tender age. But they also seemed to see in each other a kind of partner-in-arms, joined in some cause. The much older Bibi Ashraf unhesitatingly treated Muhammadi Begum, barely out of her teens, almost as her leader in a cause that concerns all women.
We should also recall that the “seclusion” of sharif women in those days was stricter. It even meant seclusion from the company of a great many females within the extended families as well their neighbourhoods. Muhammadi Begum started her journal Tahzib-i-Niswan in 1898, and amazingly, from the very beginning, she thought of it as a gathering place where women, previously strangers to each other, could meet and become “sisters”. She coined the expression tahzibi bahnen, ‘Tahzibi Sisters’, to describe this coming together. Then, acutely aware of the larger issue, she quickly proceeded to write a manual on the art of Mulaqat, explaining how a sensible woman should behave in the company of other women outside her own family, complete strangers. It was, of course, the time when men in government jobs at all levels, including the salariat middle- and lower-middle class jobs, were liable to be transferred from one district to another, requiring their wives to also move from place to place with them. They led a very lonely life unless they made an effort to know their neighbours – strangers or peers – with no past experience to guide them.
Yusufpur (GhazipurDistrict), UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI / London, U. K :
Begum Zohra Ansari sold away ‘Dar-us-Salam’ to raise party funds and worked for the victory of the candidates of the Indian National Congress and for the defeat of the candidates of the Muslim League, who wanted partition.
Begum Zohra Ansari, an activist of the Indian National Movement whom Mahatma Gandhi addressed as “Vasthad Bi, was born in Delhi. She was the adopted daughter of freedom fighters, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari and Begum Shamsunnisa Ansari.
Besides playing an important role in the National Movement, her parents provided hospitality to leaders and a cadre of the Indian National Movement and scholars and people of repute in different walks of life in their residence ‘Dar-us-Salam’. It was very spacious like a royal palace.
While Begum Shamshunnisa Ansari was busy in these responsibilities, Zohra helped her. Thus she had an opportunity to see from close-quarters leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Motilal Nehru, and the Ali Brothers and to serve them. Right from childhood she evinced interest in literature, history, and social sciences. She also gained proficiency in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, and Hindi.
Zohra Ansari and Mahatma Gandhi
Zohra Ansari rendered her services in Wardha Ashram for a long time. Mahatma Gandhi came to know about her command over Urdu and started learning the language from her. He used to address her in his letters as ‘Vastad Bi’ and ‘Beti.
Zohra Ansari and Mahatma Gandhi used to have regular correspondence on various issues. In his letter dated 22 December 1932 to Dr Ansari, Gandhiji remarked that he used to look forward to Zohra’s letter every week. When Zohra expressed her desire to go to jail as a part of the National Movement, like her parents, Gandhiji asked her to wait and promised to allow her to go to jail.
Begum Zohra Ansari married Dr Shaukatulla Shah Ansari (1908-1972) who was her relative and leader of the Indian National Movement. Begum Zohra Ansari lost her father in 1936 and mother in 1938. She took an active part in the Freedom Struggle along with her husband. Both wife and husband opposed the partition of India.
She sold away ‘Dar-us-Salam’ to raise party funds and worked for the victory of the candidates of the Indian National Congress and for the defeat of the candidates of the Muslim League, who wanted partition. Post Independence, Begum Zohra Ansari led a simple life and passed away on 28 July 1988 in England.
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home / by Syed Naseer Ahamed / December 12th, 2023
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
In 2007, Farah Usmani was working at the United Nations headquarters in New York when she made a pivotal decision that sparked a movement aimed at empowering women worldwide through financial independence.
Dr. Usmani, a physician from Uttar Pradesh, relocated to the city six years ago for work. During her search for a rental apartment, she discovered that New York’s rental prices were soaring and becoming unaffordable. After doing some quick calculations, she opted for a low-interest mortgage from the UN Federal Credit Union to purchase an apartment. She ended up buying a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, with a monthly mortgage payment that was only slightly higher than the rent she would have paid.
“This slightly higher expenditure (along with a down payment) would enable me to own an asset, and not fritter away my money on rent. It was such a wise decision. Today, 15 years later, I am on track to be a mortgage-free homeowner,” Usmani shared with the Morning Star newspaper. This experience inspired her to launch a campaign aimed at educating women around the globe about the importance of financial freedom and empowering themselves through financial independence.
Today Dr. Farah Usmani is an international health, gender and development expert based in New York.
Dr. Farah Usmani with her husband Javed Usmani
Dr. Usmani is also the first Muslim woman from India to work with the United Nations International Civil Service at Director Level. She is the recipient of the 2021 Mahatma Award for Social Impact for her work with women, girls, and minorities.
She has 25 years of experience working with the United Nations International Civil Service with UNFPA, focusing on women and girls and their reproductive health and rights.
Carrying forward her mission to empower women, Dr. Usmani is the Global Vice President of SAFAR Foundation,(Supporting Action for Advancement and Rights), a philanthropic organization focused on uplifting marginalized women and girls.
She is the Founder of “Rising Beyond The Ceiling”, a global initiative supported by SAFAR to shine a spotlight on Muslim women of India and contribute towards changing their stereotypical narrative.
The organization has published its first volume on Muslim women from Uttar Pradesh and is working on the rest of the Indian states.
Farah has received several awards and recognitions including the British Council and the Joint-Japan World Bank Merit Fellowships.
Dr. Farah Usmani
At the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), Dr. Usmani played a pivotal role in policy, planning, technical leadership, and health services across more than 50 countries, working on the rights of women and girls. She became the first Indian Muslim woman to reach the Director level in the UN’s International Civil Service in New York.
She noticed that Muslim women were often boxed into stereotypical roles on every platform. Farah made it her mission to break that mold.
“Why are our stories limited to the veil and the home?”
Inspired by this question, Dr. Farah Usmani launched Rising Beyond the Ceiling a global initiative that highlights the achievements of Indian Muslim women, brings their hidden stories to light, and challenges societal stereotypes.
This initiative didn’t stay confined to books or speeches it became a movement. A beacon of hope for every woman in a small town who dreams of a bigger world.
Dr. Usmani believes that money is not just a necessity it is power. She says, “Instead of being afraid of money, we need to befriend it.” Her husband taught her: money that doesn’t generate returns slowly vanishes. And that’s where her journey into financial literacy began.She started investing in tax-free savings, fixed deposits, and NRE (Non-Resident External) deposits. Today, her daughter Saba is also a real estate investor in Manhattan. This is not just a financial legacy it is an intellectual one, building a story of empowerment across generations.
Dr. Usmani has received numerous accolades, including Merit Fellowships from the World Bank and the British Council, and the Mahatma Award in 2021. She has worked globally for the rights of women, minorities, and marginalized girls.
She also serves as the Global Vice President of SAFAR Supporting Action for Advancement and Rights a philanthropic organization focused on uplifting marginalized women and girls.Breaking many gender barriers at different stages in her life, she has the distinction of being the first woman student to top the merit list in the pre-medical examination of the Aligarh Muslim University, where she completed her medical training.
She is the recipient of the 2021 Mahatma Award for Social Impact for her work with women, girls, and minorities.
Farah Usmani comes from a middle-class Muslim Family in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
She holds a Master’s in Health Policy, Planning & Financing given by the London School of Economics & London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine & a M.D. in Obstetrics & Gynecology from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh India. She has certifications in leadership and organizational management from Cornell University, Cranfield School of Management, Stanford University & the American Management Association, New York.
Farah is married to Jawed Usmani, an Indian civil servant, who rose to the position of Chief secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government. They have two children Faraz Usmani and Sabah Usmani.
Dr. Usmani says, “The coins our mothers and grandmothers hid in their mattresses were not just savings they were their attempt at independence.
Indian Muslim Women who feature in the list of Rising Beyond the Ceiling
The “The time has come for women to see money not as shame, but as strength.”
Her mindset, her struggles, her smile they are a source of inspiration for every woman who dreams of flying in an open sky, not a cage.
Dr. Farah Usmani’s story reads like a novel with trials, a determined heroine, a journey of transformation, and a path toward the light.
It teaches us that with courage, even the walls of a house can become the rooftop of the world’s tallest building.
Because when a woman shapes her identity by herself, she doesn’t just create a path for herself but for every generation that follows.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories> The Changemakers / by Onika Maheshwari, New Delhi / June 02nd, 2025
Sadaravan Village (Sitapur District), UTTAR PRADESH :
Girls outperform boys in Jamia Millia Islamia’s internal examinations, and Umaima’s performance has emerged as a shining example
New Delhi :
Reflecting dedication and discipline, Umaima Bano, a student from a small village in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, has made her mark in the results declared by Jamia Millia Islamia. Scoring 96.4 per cent in the Class 10 board examinations, Umaima becomes one of the top 10 rank holders this year.
The Class 12 and 10 results were released on 14 and 15 May, respectively. This year, girls have notably outperformed boys in Jamia’s internal examinations, and Umaima’s performance has emerged as a shining example.
Umaima hails from Sadaravan, a remote village in Sitapur district. Her father, Kamal Ahmed, is the principal of a private intercollege, and her achievement has brought pride not only to her family but also to her entire village.
Despite her modest background, Umaima demonstrated excellence across all subjects. According to the official marksheet, she scored 97% in Hindi, 98% in English, 99% in Mathematics, 93% in Science, 95% in Social Science, 96% in Urdu, and 95% in Islamiyat.
Her performance reflects a well-rounded grasp of both academic and language-based subjects. Speaking to local media, her father expressed pride in her efforts:
“Umaima has always been a disciplined and hardworking child. We had faith in her, but her achievement has exceeded our expectations,” Kamal Ahmed said.
Umaima’s academic journey has been marked by determination. She completed her primary education from New Vision Public Inter College in Muhammadabad, Uttar Pradesh. She then appeared for Jamia Millia Islamia’s national-level entrance test, securing an impressive 45th rank.
This feat earned her a place in the prestigious university, where she now lives in a student hostel to pursue her studies with greater focus.
“I want to become an IAS officer and serve my country,” Umaima shared when asked about her future goals. “My parents’ sacrifices inspire me every day to work harder.”
The news of Umaima’s success spread quickly across her village, where neighbours and well-wishers gathered to congratulate the family. Local teachers and community leaders praised her for being a role model for rural students.
“Umaima’s success has shown that even students from small villages can reach great heights with sincerity and support,” said Feroz Khan, a teacher from her former school.
Jamia officials also acknowledged the importance of recognising merit from all backgrounds.
“At Jamia Millia Islamia, we are committed to nurturing talent from every corner of the country. Umaima’s story is a testament to the power of equal opportunity and hard work,” said an official from the university’s examination board.
This year’s results have also highlighted the consistent rise of girl students at Jamia. University records indicate that in both Class 10 and 12 results, girls have performed better than boys in average marks and top positions.
With her academic brilliance and strong moral foundation, Umaima Bano has not only brought laurels to her family and community but has also become a symbol of hope and empowerment for girls in rural India.
As celebrations continue in Sitapur, many hope that Umaima’s journey will inspire others to dream big, work hard, and break through social and geographic barriers.
source: http://www.clarionindia.com / Clarion India / Home> Editor’s Pick> Indian Muslims / by Mohammad Bin Ismail / May 18th, 2025
Amna Asim receiving the best paper award at Jesus and Mary College, DU
Aligarh:
Amna Asim, a first-year MA History student at the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, won the Best Paper Prize at the release event of Maazinama Volume IV, held at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi.
Her research paper, titled “Memory and Resistance: Tracing India’s Counter-Monumental Legacy through Jallianwala Bagh,” was also published in Maazinama Volume IV, the annual academic journal of the Department of History, Jesus and Mary College. The paper explores the concept of counter-monuments as powerful symbols of collective memory and resistance, with a focused analysis of Jallianwala Bagh’s historical and cultural legacy.
Judges Dr. Devika Mittal and Dr. Bipasha Rosy Lakra appreciated her research and the methodology employed.
Prof. Hassan Imam, Chairperson and Coordinator of the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, AMU, congratulated Amna Asim on her achievement and praised her for earning this scholarly recognition.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by Radiance News Bureau / May 16th, 2025
Prof. Zakia Siddiqi Honoured with Dr. B R Ambedkar International Award
Aligarh:
Prof. Zakia Ather Siddiqi, a celebrated educationist and former Principal of Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has been conferred with the Dr. B R Ambedkar International Award (Certificate of Excellence) by the Tirupati Balaji Educational Foundation, honouring her lifelong service to education and social upliftment.
Renowned for her unwavering commitment to women’s empowerment through education, Prof. Siddiqi transformed academic standards and inspired generations of female students. As the OSD of Aligarh Public School, she introduced dynamic pedagogical reforms and steered the institution to national recognition.
Under her leadership, the Aligarh Public School secured the prestigious Digital India Competition Award four times – in 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024 – reflecting her vision of merging education with technological advancement.
Even after retirement, her dedication remains undiminished. This award not only celebrates her legacy but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for educators and students alike.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / May 09th, 2025
