Outside the mainstream : ǂb representations of Muslim women during the Shah Bano Debate

This paper examines coverage of the 1985-1986 Shah Bano Debate in three nonmainstream periodicals: the Organiser, Muslim India, and Manushi. I perform a close reading of these sources to problematize the image of the "Muslim woman" presented in mainstream Indian media at this time. Such an examination necessitates a discussion of women's right versus the rights of minority religious communities in India. I also examine the background to this debate, namely the Shah Bano judgment itself and the environment in which it occurred.