Roquia Sakhawat Hussain

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Roquia Sakhawat Hussain,Bengali: (বেগম রোকেয়া), (1880 – December 9, 1932) was a prolific writer, feminist and social worker in Bengal in early 20th century. She is the most famous for her efforts on behalf of gender equality and other social issues. She established the first school for Muslim girls. She is a notable Islamic feminist.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Life 2 Gender Equality 3 Works 4 Notable Information

[edit] Life

Roquia Khatun who latter became prominent as Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain (also misspelled as Rokeya in English) was born in 1880 at the village Pairabondh, in Rangpur, now located in Bangladesh. Her father Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali Haidar Saber was a local landlord as well as a highly educated person. Roquia had two sisters, Karimunnesa Khatun and Humayra Khatun; and three brothers, one of whom died in childhood. Roquia's eldest brother Ibrahim , and her immediate elder sister Karimunnesa, both had great influence on her life. Karimunnesa wanted to study Bangla. The family disliked this, not because education for women was looked down upon, but because Muslims of the time preferred to study Arabic and Persian as medium of education instead of the native language Bangla.

During those days some British appointed Hindu intelectuals constructed a racist anti-Muslim stereotype painting black pictures about Islamic religious system and Muslim people in general.Their literatures as well as media-outlets were used to serve this purpose.The legacies of such communal hatred still do persist in South Asia even today.It is due to this reason Roquia's family was against teaching their kids Bangla language in order to prevent "contamination" of their kids' minds from alien ideas.However it was Roquia's brother who taught both herself and her sister (who also became an authoress)English and Bangla.

Roquia herself narrated that her busy brother would teach her Bangla at night.Her humorous narration about it latter was used as the sole source to construct a stereotypical myth that Muslims of those days looked down female education and Bangla language alike.The reality is Roquia herself was out and out an aristrocatic lady by culture who adopted Urdu as her spoken language and the medium of education.But her uniqueness is that she also side by side fought for resurrecting gender equality for the ordinary womenfolks who were living in the society of commoners which was popularly known as Atraaf(non-aristrocratic).

However, Karimunnesa was married off at the age of fourteen.She also latter earned reputation as a poetess.Both of her two sons Nawab Abdul Karim Gaznawi and Nawab Abdul Halim Gaznawi became famous in the political arena and occupied ministerial portfolios under British authorities.

Roquia got married at the age of sixteen in 1896. Her Urdu speaking husband, Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain, was the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur,which is now a district under the Indian state of Bihar. However, both her husband and her brother encouraged her to learn Bangla and English as well as to create literature for the commoners.

Especially her Urdu-speaking husband encouraged Roquia to write and set aside money to start a school for Muslim women. In 1902, Begum Roquia started her literary career with a Bangla story named Pipasa (Thirst).

Begum Roquia upon her husband's advice adopted Bangla as the principal language for her literary works because it was the language of the commoners.

In 1909, Sakhawat Hussain died. Five months later, Roquia established a Girls' High School in her beloved husband's memory and named it Sakhawat Memorial Girls' High school. It was established in Bhagalpur,a traditionally Urdu-speaking area and started out with only five students. it was an accident of history that a dispute with her husband's family members over property issues forced Roquia to move the school to Kolkata a Bangla speaking area in 1911. Roquia remained busy with this school and her writings during the rest of her life. She died of heart problems on December 9, 1932.

In Bangladesh, December 9 is celebrated as the Rokeya Day in memory of Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain.

Begum Roquia also founded the Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam(Islamic Women's Association)which was active in holding debates and conferences regarding the status of women and education.

She was inspired by the traditional Islamic learning as enunciated in the Quran.

Her Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam organised many events for social reforms based on the original teachings of Islam that according to her view were lost.

She also founded a school in Kolkatta.

[edit] Gender Equality

Begum Roquia was undoubtedly the most inspiring figure who contributed much to the struggle to liberate women from the bondage of social malaises. To raise popular consciousness, especially among women, she wrote a number of articles, stories and novels. She wrote mostly in Bengali.

Begum Roquia used humor, irony and satire to focus attention on the injustices faced by Bengali speaking Muslim women. She criticized oppressive social customs forced upon women that were based upon the corrupted version of Islam, asserting that women fulfilling their potential as human beings could best display the glory of Allah.

Begum Roquia wrote courageously against restrictions on women in order to promote their emancipation. She believed it would come by breaking the gender division of labor.

Contrary to Western feminist views, Begum Roquia believed to segregate women from men in public arena, but she rejected discrimination ideas for women in the public arena. She also believed that discrimination would cease only when women were able to undertake whatever profession they do choose.

But in this case, too having complied with the traditional Islamic ethos she advocated for the creation of a segregated arena for women alone in all spheres of the society.

[edit] Works

• Sultana's Dream
• Oborodhbashini (The woman in captivity)
• Motichur
• Paddorag (Essence of the lotus)

[edit] Notable Information

Sultana's dream is a story of role-reversal, Roquiah's utopian world where women are free and men and confined to household chores. It is a notable early work of feminist science fiction.

Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain was working on an essay entitled Narir Adhikar (The Rights of Women)when she died in December, 1932. It was a thesis to be prepared for her organisation Anjuman e Khawateen e Islam (Islamic Women's Association).