Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz
Encyclopedia
Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz is an India
n Muslim
social reform organization dedicated to the emancipation of the Dalit
Muslims belonging to the "Arzal" Untouchable Caste
in the Caste system among South Asian Muslims
. It was founded by Ali Anwar
in Patna
, Bihar
. Anwar himself is a Dalit Muslim belonging to the Ansari
sub-Caste.
. He assembled a loose coalition of social reform organizations bringing awareness towards the plight of the Dalit Muslims and their complete neglect and persecution by the upper-caste "Ashraf" (supposedly "Arab
-descended") Muslims in India.The Mahaz is a broad front of a number of Dalit and Backward Caste Muslim organisations from different states of India, particularly Bihar
, Uttar Pradesh
, Jharkhand
, West Bengal
and Delhi
.
The position of the Mahaz reflects that of Anwar, who posits that Caste Muslims have been trying to marginalize the Dalit Muslims by slyly asking for quotas
for "Backward-class Muslims" while excluding the Muslim Dalits from this label. They oppose religion-based reservations on the basis of their assertions regarding Ashrafs hijacking them for their own purposes and thus want socio-economic conditions and not religion to be the basis of reservation. Ali Anwar has said he has been networking with Muslim members across the political spectrum to raise the issue in the Parliament of India
.
However, they do not advocate for the rights of Women in Muslim societies, even though the women of the organization resent having to be in purdah
while the ashraf women went about with "bob cuts aur lipstick".
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
social reform organization dedicated to the emancipation of the Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
Muslims belonging to the "Arzal" Untouchable Caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
in the Caste system among South Asian Muslims
Caste system among South Asian Muslims
Caste system among South Asian Muslims refers to units of social stratification that have developed among Muslims in South Asia.Religious, historical and socio-cultural factors have helped define the bounds of endogamous groups for Muslims in South Asia...
. It was founded by Ali Anwar
Ali Anwar
Shri Ali Anwar a politician from Janata Dal party is presently a Member of the Parliament of India representing Bihar in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.-Social work:...
in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. Anwar himself is a Dalit Muslim belonging to the Ansari
Ansari
Ansari may refer to:* Ansari , list of people with this surname* Khwaja Abdullah Ansari , Persian Muslim scholar and Sufi* Momin Ansari, a Muslim ethnic group found in South Asia* Ansari, an alternate term for Alawis...
sub-Caste.
History
Anwar founded the organization after observing Caste oppression by upper-caste "Ashraf" Muslims on Muslim untouchables, causing him to become a leftist and associate with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
. He assembled a loose coalition of social reform organizations bringing awareness towards the plight of the Dalit Muslims and their complete neglect and persecution by the upper-caste "Ashraf" (supposedly "Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
-descended") Muslims in India.The Mahaz is a broad front of a number of Dalit and Backward Caste Muslim organisations from different states of India, particularly Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
The position of the Mahaz reflects that of Anwar, who posits that Caste Muslims have been trying to marginalize the Dalit Muslims by slyly asking for quotas
Reservation in India
Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well being of socially backward and underrepresented communities of citizens in India. There are laws in place, wherein a certain percentage of total available slots in Jobs and Education are set aside for people from...
for "Backward-class Muslims" while excluding the Muslim Dalits from this label. They oppose religion-based reservations on the basis of their assertions regarding Ashrafs hijacking them for their own purposes and thus want socio-economic conditions and not religion to be the basis of reservation. Ali Anwar has said he has been networking with Muslim members across the political spectrum to raise the issue in the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
.
Objectives
The Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz advocates for Dalit Muslims in relation to issues of personal law, reservation and electoral politics, as well as demands of legal action against officials who physically attack Dalit Muslims. They have also advocated for the rights of Dalit Muslims to bury their dead in conventional graveyards instead of segregated ones, as mandated in the Muslim Caste System.However, they do not advocate for the rights of Women in Muslim societies, even though the women of the organization resent having to be in purdah
Purdah
Purdah or pardeh is the practice of concealing women from men. According to one definition:This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form....
while the ashraf women went about with "bob cuts aur lipstick".
Controversies
Upper-Caste Muslims in India have tried to label the people of the Mahaz as "un-Islamic heretics", which the Mahaz protests as a form of propaganda against them.See also
- IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
- UntouchabilityUntouchabilityUntouchability is the social practice of ostracizing a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers...
- DalitDalitDalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
- Indian Caste System
- Caste system among South Asian MuslimsCaste system among South Asian MuslimsCaste system among South Asian Muslims refers to units of social stratification that have developed among Muslims in South Asia.Religious, historical and socio-cultural factors have helped define the bounds of endogamous groups for Muslims in South Asia...
- HalalkhorHalalkhorThe Halalkhor are a Dalit Muslim community , found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India . They are mostly Shias. The Halalkhor are also known as Shaikhra or Shahani in Bihar and Muslim Bhangi and Mehtar in Uttar Pradesh....
- Muslim DhobiMuslim DhobiThe Muslim Dhobi are a Muslim community that is traditionally involved in washing clothes in South Asia. They are considered to be Muslim converts from the Hindu Dhobi caste, and are found in North India and Pakistan...
- Muslim ShaikhMuslim ShaikhThe Muslim Shaikh or Mussali are a community found in the Punjab province of Pakistan The Shah Khel community of the North West Frontier Province, has similar roots.-History and origin:...
- MirasiMirasiThe Mirasi are a Muslim or Sikh caste, found in Northern India and Pakistan. They are also known as Pakhwaji, Kalawart and Qawwal.The Mirasi community are the genealogists of a number of communities in Northern India and Pakistan. Most Mirasis are Muslim, but Rababi and Dhadi sub-groups are...
- HajjamHajjamHajjam , alternately pronounced and spelled as Hajaam , are a ethnic group found in North India and Pakistan. In Pakistan, they are settled in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. The word Hajaam is derived from the Urdu word Hajaamat which in Urdu means barber and hairdresser...
- Lal BegiLal BegiThe Lal Begi are a scheduled caste found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India . The Muslim branch of the Lal Begi are known as Hasnati and the Hindu branch are known as Balmiki.-History and origin:...
External links
- Muslim Dalits, a downtrodden lot