IN the early years of the 20th century, a host of Urdu journals started being published, carrying a new awakening for South Asian Muslims. They played their role well, making precious contributions to Urdu literature and to different social issues. But with time they receded into oblivion, except for one monthly, Ismat, which recently celebrated its 105th anniversary in Karachi.

Ismat started its journey in 1908 in Delhi. Under the editorship of distinguished writer Allama Rashidul Khairi, it took up the cause of the emancipation of Muslim women. In 1947, the magazine migrated from the riot-ridden city of Delhi to Pakistan. After reaching Karachi it started afresh under the editorship of Khairi’s son, Raziqul Khairi. The magazine’s 105th anniversary was commemorated under the editorship of Allama Khairi’s granddaughter, Safoora Khairi.

President Mamnoon Hussain was present at the occasion along with distinguished writers Hasina Moin, Zaheda Hina and Fatima Hasan who paid tribute to the magazine and its devoted editors for their invaluable services to the cause of women’s emancipation. Writer Ali Abbas Hussain had called Allama Khairi the Sir Syed Ahmad Khan of the Muslim female world of South Asia.

Allama Khairi started his writing career with Sir Abdul Qadir’s Makhzan, a prestigious literary journal which made an appearance at the start of the 20th century. Abdul Qadir recognised Allama Khairi’s literary talent and advised him to leave government service and devote himself to writing fulltime. Allama Kahiri himself was not happy with the kind of work he was doing so he ultimately decided to resign from his job and engage himself in writing. He already had a number of short stories and two novels to his credit and soon became popular. But Raziqul Khairi tells us that when Allama Khairi presented one of these novels to Deputy Nazir Ahmad, who was his uncle, he was snubbed. “If you,” Deputy Sahib said, “have really developed eagerness for writing novels, you should read my novels.” So Allama Khairi read Deputy Nazir Ahmad’s novels and wrote a reformative novel, winning Deputy Sahib’s approval.

But, as Dr Daud Usmani has written in his article, it was during Allama Khairi’s association with Makhzan that the idea of a journal for women came up and he felt inclined to write about the plight of women. Soon the journal started under the name Ismat and Allama Khairi took charge as its editor.

In Aligarh, Sheikh Abdullah had already started a campaign in support of education for women. He addressed those opposing him and said, “To educate men and not offer the same facility and exposure to women is like having sunshine in one part of the room and darkness in the other.”

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also spoke in his favour and said that “Muslims need to understand that their progress is as dependent on the education of their women as it is on their men.” And it was in the thick of this controversy that Maulana Hali wrote his poem ‘Chup Ki Dad.’

Begum Khurshid Mirza wrote that this poem was written in response to an appeal by Sheikh Abdullah.Such were the times when Rashidul Khairi gained a new awareness and took up the cause of women with the zeal of a missionary. Ismat, with him as its editor, was earnestly devoted to this cause. And in addition he wrote novels depicting social conditions in which the male members of society are insensitive and the women are miserable, fated to live under their oppression. In fact, the painful experience of 1857 had sunk deep into the consciousness of the Muslims. The acute sense of defeat gave birth to a new awareness which asked for social reform and in consequence led to a reformative movement. The movement laid stress on modern education for Muslim men. But soon there was a realisation about the importance of education for women.

This new awareness, with particular reference to the women’s cause, won a number of supporters as opposed to those who were against education for women. Rashidul Khairi identified himself so completely with this cause that his whole life seemed devoted to it. And Ismat came to stay as the leading organ for this cause. How wonderful that this organ is still alive, with the same passion and devotion expressed by the inheritors of this legacy. But Ismat should not remain content at reminding us of the women’s struggle in the past; it should also identify with the fight as it is being fought now.