WOMEN IN INDIA: EGALITARIANISM FROM A BOHRA WOMEN'S

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MUMBAI 000112

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN KDEM IN
SUBJECT: WOMEN IN INDIA: EGALITARIANISM FROM A BOHRA WOMEN'S
PERSPECTIVE

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1. (U) Summary: In the spirit of International Women's Day,
Consulate Mumbai met with six women from the Dawoodi Bohra
community, a small, prosperous, highly-visible Shi'a Muslim sect
based in Western India. The women described their sect as
egalitarian in its treatment of men and women in education,
marriage and basic freedoms. Though they acknowledged the
Bohras have conservative, male-dominated traditions, the women
were proud of the measure of independence they had achieved.
The women acknowledged that the practice of female circumcision
is still a Bohra religious obligation, but viewed it as a
practice undertaken by both men and women. Though holding fast
to certain ancient traditions, their sense of independence is
noticeable in their dress, their approach to elections, and even
in standing up to domestic violence. End Summary.



Bohra Basics

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2. (U) In conjunction with International Women's Day, Congenoff
met with six women from the Dawoodi Bohra religious community, a
small, Ismaili Shi'a Muslim sect known for its unusual cohesion,
business acumen, and extreme devotion to its hereditary leader,
Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. In Mumbai, a city of
approximately 16 million people, 17 percent of whom are Muslims,
the Bohras are a small, prosperous and highly-visible minority.
The sect began in Egypt, and eventually came to India as
missionaries, finding converts among Indian traders, largely in
Gujarat. There are now approximately one million adherents in
India and across parts of eastern Africa, the Middle East,
Europe and North America. According to scholars, the sect
today is largely comprised of traders, business owners and
professionals. The Bohra world headquarters is in Mumbai where
the Syedna resides.




3. (U) The sect requires strict adherence to the precepts handed
down by the 96 year old Syedna, and those critical of his
leadership face excommunication and ostracism from the
community. Adherents are called upon to support a wealthy trust
closely controlled by the Syedna and his family. The Syedna has
used some of those funds collected from the community to
construct and equip the Saifee hospital in Mumbai which serves
all Mumbai residents and boasts seven state-of-the-art operating
suites. The fund also sustains the luxurious lifestyle of
Syedna and his extensive family. Those Bohras who have
questioned the Syedna on the transparency and use of these
funds, such as noted Bohra scholar Asghar Ali Engineer, have
been excommunicated.





Perceptions of Equality

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4. (U) The six Bohra women were all university-educated, as are
most Bohra women: three of the women work in fields from
sociology to fashion, while the others are stay at home mothers.
The women told Congenoff the community's emphasis on education
for both males and females gives women a sense of being equals
with their husbands. They said that each woman has the choice
to work or stay home, but most choose to stay home when they
have children. (Note: Some scholars have attributed the sect's
ban of dowry as a key factor in higher education rates among
women, as more family funds are available to pay for the
daughter's education. End note.) Bohra women are recognizable
for their white burqas, which are often embroidered with
colorful designs and floral patterns. The burqa is still widely
worn in the community, though two of the women wore a more

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casual tunic known as a salwar chamiz. The older women saw the
burqa as a requirement and an outward expression of faith, which
the younger women disputed.




5. (U) In discussing their perception of relative equality, the
women felt that Bohra marriages are equal partnerships, as both
men and women are urged by the Syedna to make compromises to
make the marriage work. One of the older women acknowledged,
however, that wives are obliged to compromise 70 percent of the
time, and husbands 30 percent of the time. While accepting this
reality, the women laughed at ways they maintain their
independence despite the call to be subservient: one of the
younger women admitted that she "compromises" by waiting until
her husband is at work to view the television shows that he does
not want her to watch. The other women laughed in recognition
at this form of "compromise."




6. (U) The women were proud that they could attend prayers at
the mosque with their husbands. Although restricted to an upper
balcony while the men pray on the ground floor, the women can
hear the preaching and be in the mosque just like their
husbands. (Note: Their concept of equality between the sexes is
measured against those Muslim sects where women are not
permitted in the Mosques and must pray at home, as opposed to
Hindu or Christian practices where women may pray next to men.
End Note.) The women celebrated their freedom to move about
without being accompanied by their husbands or another male
relative, which would be forbidden for some Muslims. It is not
uncommon to see a Bohra woman in her colorful frock and head
cover driving down the busy city streets of Mumbai on a scooter.




While Progressive, at Least One Medieval Tradition Remains

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7. (U) In the discussion, the Bohra women affirmed that female
circumcision was practiced in their community, ordained and
supported by the Syedna's decrees. They argued this practice is
part of the egalitarian nature of their religion, as both men
and women are circumcised. Boys are circumcised at birth, and
girls, they said, undergo the procedure at age seven. They
acknowledged that for males, the circumcision is for health
reasons and that for women the procedure is to curb sexual
desire and prevent wives from straying from their husbands.
While conceding that the mind controls sexual desire, they all
supported the practice. (Note: Indian law does not ban this
practice. According to the 2007 Human Rights Report, the
practice continued within the Bohra community in Pakistan,
despite the procedure being illegal, though it was reportedly
declining. End Note.)


8. (SBU) The extent of the practice, also referred to as female
genital mutilation, among Bohras is difficult to determine. One
woman described the procedure as just a small snip of flesh done
without anesthesia; another described it as removal of the
clitoris performed under anesthesia at a private clinic.
Engineer, the Bohra scholar excommunicated from the sect, told
Congenoffs the procedure is done under medical supervision in
cities, but in rural areas it is sometimes done up to age 12
without anesthesia or medical supervision. Dr. Neelam Ghore, a
gynecologist and women's rights advocate, said she had seen
cases where the clitoris had been completely removed, but did
not note any health complications impairing reproductive
ability. Another gynecologist, Dr. Duru Shah, told Congenoff
she has not seen female genital mutilation among her Bohra
patients, concluding that if the procedure is truly universal,
for her patients, it must have been a very minor excision.

Marriage and Family Rights

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9. (U) All six interlocutors had arranged marriages, as do most
Bohras, but the women spoke positively about love marriages in
their community as well. (Note: Arranged marriages are common
across Indian society regardless of religion. In very
traditional families, love marriages are rare, and in some cases
are seen as an affront to the parents or as bringing dishonor to
the family. End note.) The interlocutors said that within the
Bohra community, education is highly valued and that while
couples may become engaged at age 15 or 16, they are asked to
wait until they complete their education before getting married,
sometimes waiting an additional 3-5 years. The Syedna
recommends that girls not marry before age 18 and that boys not
marry until age 21, according to our interlocutors. They
claimed that within the Bohra community there is no dishonor if
an engaged couple breaks off the engagement because they find
they are incompatible. (Note: If true, this would be a
significant distinction from most conservative Muslims and
Hindus in India. End note.)


10. (U) In line with mainstream Islamic law, Bohra practices
allow a man to have up to four wives. However, the women told
Congenoff that this right is rarely exercised and is to be used
only when the first wife is unable to bear children, or, in some
cases, to provide support and shelter for women who need it.
(Note: In India, both polygamy and inheritance rights, among
other areas, are governed by the personal laws of the respective
religions. For Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs, polygamy is
banned by the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, but Borhas remain
governed by Islamic law which permits the practice. End Note.)
Similarly, inheritance laws leave Borha women at a disadvantage:
sons inherit the majority of the parent's estate. Nonetheless,
the women were proud that daughters in the Bohra community
inherit 25 percent of the parents' estate.




11. (U) The women said that Bohra families now generally have
only two or three children, while their parents' generation came
from much larger families. The women rely on modern medical
practices to control the size of their families, most often by
tubal ligation. The women said birth control pills and abortion
are discouraged within the community and they laughed at the
thought of men having a vasectomy, saying that would never
happen. [Note: Dr. Shah explained that many men in India
believe that a vasectomy will render the male impotent. End
note.] They claimed there is no particular preference for male
children and that feticide or infanticide is not an issue within
the community. Separately, A.L. Sharada of Population First, an
organization working to combat female feticide, confirmed that
while male children are preferred throughout India because of
their ability to help support the family, Muslims generally do
not have abortions, nor do they share the Hindu religious
tradition in which a son is prized and needed to light the
father's funeral pyre.



Engaging with Society as Independent Women

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12. (U) Though the women denied domestic abuse occurs within
the Bohra community, they are increasingly conscious of its
prevalence in India society. For example, they recounted
standing up to protect a non-Bohra neighbor from abuse by
ringing the doorbell to let the husband know they knew what was
going on and to interrupt his abuse. This idea, they said, came
from a television public service campaign urging neighbors
intervene in cases of domestic abuse by ringing the doorbell to
interrupt the abuser. [Comment: Whether or not these women are
aware of any cases of domestic abuse within the Bohra community,
scholars have generally agreed that domestic violence knows no
bounds of religion or socio-economic status. The directors of
"Bapnu Ghar", Mumbai's oldest walk-in shelter for battered
women, run by the Maharashtra State Women's Council, told
Congenoffs that reuniting women with their abusive husbands is
considered the best option in most cases because few women in

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India have the means to support themselves. As the media
campaign points out, bringing attention to the abuse by ringing
the doorbell is a small but expedient way women can help curb
domestic abuse. End comment.]




13. (U) Likewise, the women hold fast to their independence in
exercising their right to vote, refusing to even discuss
politics with their husbands to avoid being told how to vote.
They recounted being targeted by anti-Muslim violence in the
past and said they would never vote for a pro-Hindutva
candidate. In this election, however, the women argued that all
politicians were corrupt and inept, and said they were unlikely
to support any candidate.




14. (SBU) Comment: As highly educated women, the Bohras who met
with Congenoff enjoy freedom, economic status and a degree of
equality superior to most women in India. While by western
standards they may not appear equal to men, they see the cup as
more full than empty. As is true for many other Indians, modern
medicine, technology, mass communication and even fashion are
making inroads into their lives, creating a bridge between
centuries old traditions and the 21st century. Intellectually,
they accepted that the rationale given for female circumcision
does not stand up to scrutiny, but they nonetheless accept it as
part of the requirements of their faith that they share equally
with men They are conscious of, and claim a right to, equality
with their husbands and are proud of the freedom they have
achieved. End Comment.
FOLMSBEE