She was the first to uncork the infamous sex-scandal in Kashmir but this led to her arrest. Today when the scandal has brought out skeletons from the cupboards of police officers, prominent mainstream political leaders and Indian troops, Dukhtaran-i-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi stands vindicated. The female Muslim extremist wants the Kashmiri society to get rid of moral degradation by adhering to strict principles of Islam a la Taliban style. Haroon Mirani reports.

Extracts

Srinagar July 09, 2006

At a time when most Muslims want to shun the tag of Islamic fundamentalism, an all women organisation Dukhtaran-i-Millat (Daughters of Community) in this disputed region of Indian administered Kashmir is striving for an orthodox Islamic state, once dreamt by Talibans.

Only of its kind in south Asia the organisation came to forefront in 1987, when thousands of black-veiled women stormed the streets of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, protesting against obscene film posters and liquor shops.

Women protests then were least imagined in this only Muslim majority state of Hindu India. With around 200 likeminded women, Aasiya Andrabi founded the Dukhtaran-i-Millat (DM) in 1981 with the goal of imbibing Islamic values in the society.

After graduating in Bacteriology and Biochemistry, Andrabi reincarnated as an orthodox Muslim after her brother disallowed her to proceed to Dalhousie for pursuing postgraduation in Biochemistry citing her being female as a reason.

Shocked at the treatment, Andrabi immersed herself into books and chanced reading Mayil Kharabi's book "Khwateen ki diloo ki baatein". The 35-page book about conversion of an American Christian women Marcus Margaret to Islam who later lived in Pakistan as Mariam Jameela, transformed her altogether................