Women Book Readership

Muslim Murasu, September 2012

Islam urges women to acquire education, knowledge, wisdom and experience. 25 lakh women in Tamilnadu show hesitation. 250 women writers are needed today to identify and focus on women issues. Readership among women has completely dwindled. Television is eating up most of the leisure hours. Other cultures and consumerist rage are penetrating their hearts, unbeknownst to them. Private television channels are gradually thrusting obscenity, aggression, restlessness, extravagance and dissatisfaction. Television addiction is dangerous. It spoils the heart. A strong missionary movement can stop this. Women should be trained to write short stories, poems, articles, editorials, bit news, interviews and travelogues. Divisions in houses are deepening when women travel in opposite direction. Society is unable to produce highly intellectual women leaders like Khadeeja and Ayisha (rali). Islamic cadres and activists working in the field shall pay attention to women literature.
One and half lakh graduates and educated women have been produced among Muslims in Tamilnadu in the past thirty years. Thousands of engineering, medical and management graduates have dissolved in the family cauldron. Thousand crore rupee has been spent for women education. Educated women who were groomed with a large investment have been submerged in society like average women. They have no idea on awareness, development and social welfare. They have disappeared in family cycle. Muslim women participation does not look significant in politics, education, literature and economic realms. There is this sad scene too where battling quality of Muslim women are abused for video footage. Reading habit is the first step to women awareness. Among 25 lakh Muslim women in Tamilnadu, fifty thousand can be encouraged to read books and magazines. Today, book readership is less than five hundred. Jewel obsession among women is impeding serious reading. They seek to live independently. They do not support any concerted social efforts by men. Muslims families that have crossed monthly salary of 50,000 shall set their feet in women literature, education and awareness. Otherwise, society will have a bumpy, slippery, treacherous way forward.