Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} From Purdah to Parliament by Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah From Purdah to Parliament. Monochrome photographs are fascinating. The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” comes to mind every time I look at them. So when I stumbled across this photo a few months ago, the identity of this woman and what her story was piqued my interest, not least because she was sat behind a placard which read “Pakistan” which just happens to be my homeland. Her bold, confident gaze is very striking. Not your average, oppressed looking South Asian woman is she? After a quick internet search with the aid of the ever knowledgeable Sheikh Google, I later learned that the name of the woman pictured in the above photograph was Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah (1915 – 2000), and her story is a remarkable one. Born in Kolkata (now known as Calcutta), Begum Shaista Ikramullah was the only daughter of Sir Hassan Suhrawardy, who was himself a noted politician and surgeon in his time. She was the first Muslim and Asian woman to earn a Ph.D in 1947 from the University of London. This was a colossal feat for any woman to achieve in a time where academic endeavours were the domain of men, and women were expected to take up the traditional role of a domesticated housewife. Her husband, Mohammed Ikramullah, was a member of the Indian Civil Service prior to the partition. He himself went on to become the first Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, and was also Ambassador to Canada, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. They had four children together; Ina, Naz, Salma Sobhan (1937 – 2003), a former barrister and professor in Bangladesh, and Sarvat Ikramullah, who became Princess Sarvat El Hassan in her marriage to Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Begum Shaista Ikramullah’s achievement as a Ph.D graduate was merely the tip of the ice berg. She was a “First Lady” so to speak. Not only was she the first female Muslim Ph.D graduate. She was also the first female Member of Parliament of Pakistan, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. She also served as Ambassador to Morocco from 1964 to 1967, and was a delegate to the United Nations from 1948 to 1956. She was also a well known author, publishing books in both English and Urdu. She later documented the details of her intriguing life in an autobiography she penned called “From Purdah to Parliament”. She passed away in Karachi at the age of 85. The notion of a powerful, educated Muslim woman might sound ridiculous to some given Islam is after all, (very mistakenly), synonymous with misogyny. Of course, there’s no denying that this is the case in many Muslim countries, although this is down to patriarchal cultural practices rather than the religion itself. However, since the very beginning, Islam has been a religion heavily rooted in encouraging its followers, both men and women, to “seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave”. Begum Shaista Ikramullah did not only just that, but she shatters the stereotype of the “powerless Muslim woman” perpetuated today, although she is by no means the only one to do so. Was she a Muslim woman beyond her time? I would say, no. But she was certainly a woman beyond her time. brown skinned, bearded men. However, Begum Shaista Ikramullah is just one of many women who shatter this stereotype of powerless Muslim women perpetuated today, although she is by no means the only one to do so. One of the earliest examples of a powerful Muslim woman can be drawn back to the very inception of Islam, where Prophet Muhammad’s wife, Aisha, was one of the foremost female scholars of her time. Her life and accomplishments are certainly worth discussing, but that will left to another post. From Purdah to Parliament by Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah. Hooray! You've discovered a title that's missing from our library. Can you help donate a copy? If you own this book, you can mail it to our address below. You can also purchase this book from a vendor and ship it to our address: When you buy books using these links the Internet Archive may earn a small commission. Benefits of donating. When you donate a physical book to the Internet Archive, your book will enjoy: Beautiful high-fidelity digitization Long-term archival preservation Free controlled digital library access by the print-disabled and public † Open Library is a project of the Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. SHAISTA IKRAMULLAH. Begum Shaista Ikramullah, the first female representative of the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan (1947), Pakistan’s former Ambassador to Morocco, mother-in-law of Jordan’s Crown Prince, and niece of the great leader Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, was born on July 22, 1915, at Calcutta in the prominent Suhrawardy family of West Bengal. She was educated at Calcutta and London. During that period, strict purdah environment was prevalent in the Muslim society of India. Her mother was a traditionalist while her father, an eminent surgeon and politician, was a dynamic liberal who encouraged his daughter to study. She got married at quite a young age. Her husband was a diplomat and served as Pakistan’s first Foreign Secretary. He encouraged her pursuit of modern education. She was the first Muslim woman to obtain a doctorate from the University of London in 1940. Her doctorate thesis “Development of the Urdu Novel and Short Story” was a critical survey of Urdu novel and short stories. In 1945, Begum Ikramullah was asked by the Government of India to attend the Pacific Relations Conference. Quaid-i-Azam convinced Begum Ikramullah not to accept the offer, as he wanted her to go as the representative of the Muslim League and to speak on its behalf. Six weeks after the establishment of Pakistan, the Quaid asked Begum Ikramullah to go as a delegate to the United Nations. Begum Shaista Ikramullah was one of the few Muslim women to have taken an active part in the Pakistan Movement. She was totally committed to the creation, and the building of Pakistan. The first legislature of Pakistan in 1947 had two women representatives, Begum Jehan Ara Shah Nawaz and Begum Shaista Ikramullah. Together with Begum Shah Nawaz, she made untiring efforts to get the “Islamic Personal Law of Shariah” approved. Her male counterparts in the legislature had certain reservations towards this law, which recognized women’s right to inherit property in accordance with the Islamic Law. The law also guaranteed all citizens; male and female alike, equal pay for equal work, equality of status and equal opportunities. After protests by women both inside and outside the legislature, the bill was finally approved in 1948, and became effective in 1951 when Pakistan adopted its first constitution. She continued to play an active role in Pakistani politics in the critical years preceding the Martial Law. Begum Ikramullah served Pakistan as a delegate to various international conferences and United Nation’s Conferences. She also served as Ambassador to Morocco from 1964 to 1967. In the late 80′s, Begum Ikramullah started work on a book about the life and times of her late uncle, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. The book, “Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy: A Biography” was completed and published in 1991. Her works in the English language include “Letters to Neena”, the much acclaimed “Behind the Veil” first published in 1953, and “From Purdah to Parliament” published in 1963. “Common Heritage” was her idea to improve ties between Pakistan and India by providing a platform to both Pakistanis and Indians who had lived in the Sub-continent before Partition. She also completed her English translation of “Mirat-ul-Uroos”, an Urdu classic by Deputy Nazir Ahmad, and an Urdu volume on “Kahavat aur Muhavray” but unfortunately, could not see them in print. Begum Ikramullah often regretted that a golden era of women’s struggle and achievements seemed no longer accessible to the common person and may be lost. To revive these memories, she translated her book “From Purdah to Parliament” in Urdu. She used to contribute regularly for the magazines “Tehzeeb-i-Niswan” and “Ismat”. “Koshish-i-Natamaam”, a volume comprised of short stories, “Safarnama” and “Dilli ki Begamat key Muhawarey” are her other works in Urdu. Catalogue. "The Jubilee Series, 1947-1997, 50 years of Pakistan" --Cover. 000 00966cam a2200277 a 4500 001 648832 005 20180905205239.0 008 981230s1998 pk acf 000 0aeng d 019 1 |a 14167324 020 |a 0195778049 035 |9 (AuCNLDY)2617801 035 |a 648832 040 |a ANL |b eng |c ANL 082 0 4 |a 305.4095491 |2 21 100 1 |a Ikramullah, Begum Shaista S. 245 1 0 |a From Purdah to Parliament / |c Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah. 250 |a Rev. ed. 260 |a Karachi (Pakistan) : |b Oxford University Press, |c 1998. 300 |a xv, 255 p., [16] p. of plates : |b ill., ports. ; |c 23 cm. 500 |a "Revised and expanded edition"--Cover. 500 |a "The Jubilee Series, 1947-1997, 50 years of Pakistan" --Cover. 600 1 0 |a Ikramullah, Shaista Suhrawardy, |d 1915- 650 0 |a Women |z Pakistan |x Social conditions. 650 0 |a Muslim women |x Biography. 651 0 |a Pakistan |x Social conditions |y 20th century. 984 |a ANL |c YY 305.4095491 I26. You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video embedded. You can view this on the NLA website. You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video embedded. You can view this on the NLA website. You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video embedded. Begum Shaista Ikramullah. Begum Shaista Ikramullah, the first female representative of the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan (1947), Pakistan’s former Ambassador to Morocco, mother-in-law of Jordan’s Crown Prince, and niece of the great leader Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, was born on July 22, 1915, at Calcutta in the prominent Suhrawardy family of West Bengal. She was educated at Calcutta and London. During that period, strict purdah environment was prevalent in the Muslim society of India. Her mother was a traditionalist while her father, an eminent surgeon and politician, was a dynamic liberal who encouraged his daughter to study. She got married at quite a young age. Her husband was a diplomat and served as Pakistan’s first Foreign Secretary. He encouraged her pursuit of modern education. She was the first Muslim woman to obtain a doctorate from the University of London in 1940. Her doctorate thesis “Development of the Urdu Novel and Short Story” was a critical survey of Urdu novel and short stories. In 1945, Begum Ikramullah was asked by the Government of India to attend the Pacific Relations Conference. Quaid-i-Azam convinced Begum Ikramullah not to accept the offer, as he wanted her to go as the representative of the Muslim League and to speak on its behalf. Six weeks after the establishment of Pakistan, the Quaid asked Begum Ikramullah to go as a delegate to the United Nations. Begum Shaista Ikramullah was one of the few Muslim women to have taken an active part in the Pakistan Movement. She was totally committed to the creation, and the building of Pakistan. The first legislature of Pakistan in 1947 had two women representatives, Begum Jehan Ara Shah Nawaz and Begum Shaista Ikramullah. Together with Begum Shah Nawaz, she made untiring efforts to get the “Islamic Personal Law of Shariah” approved. Her male counterparts in the legislature had certain reservations towards this law, which recognized women’s right to inherit property in accordance with the Islamic Law. The law also guaranteed all citizens; male and female alike, equal pay for equal work, equality of status and equal opportunities. After protests by women both inside and outside the legislature, the bill was finally approved in 1948, and became effective in 1951 when Pakistan adopted its first constitution. She continued to play an active role in Pakistani politics in the critical years preceding the Martial Law. Begum Ikramullah served Pakistan as a delegate to various international conferences and United Nation’s Conferences. She also served as Ambassador to Morocco from 1964 to 1967. In the late 80’s, Begum Ikramullah started work on a book about the life and times of her late uncle, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. The book, “Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy: A Biography” was completed and published in 1991. Her works in the English language include “Letters to Neena”, the much acclaimed “Behind the Veil” first published in 1953, and “From Purdah to Parliament” published in 1963. “Common Heritage” was her idea to improve ties between Pakistan and India by providing a platform to both Pakistanis and Indians who had lived in the Sub-continent before Partition. She also completed her English translation of “Mirat-ul-Uroos”, an Urdu classic by Deputy Nazir Ahmad, and an Urdu volume on “Kahavat aur Muhavray” but unfortunately, could not see them in print. Begum Ikramullah often regretted that a golden era of women’s struggle and achievements seemed no longer accessible to the common person and may be lost. To revive these memories, she translated her book “From Purdah to Parliament” in Urdu. She used to contribute regularly for the magazines “Tehzeeb-i-Niswan” and “Ismat”. “Koshish-i-Natamaam”, a volume comprised of short stories, “Safarnama” and “Dilli ki Begamat key Muhawarey” are her other works in Urdu.