Maternal subjectivity of Indian Muslim mothers: reflections on the hijab and education

Abstract

Most theories of motherhood, across different societies, tend to be anchored on the child’s needs. This results in mothers either idealised or blamed for the impact they have on their child. In all this theorising, I have found that maternal voice is absent, creating a gap in our understanding of maternal subjectivity. This article is part of the larger doctoral work focused on Indian Muslim mothers, building on Benjamin’s work that argues for mutual recognition of the other in a dyadic relationship as a subject. A psychosocial lens is used to explore the maternal experiences of raising adolescent daughters in contemporary times where the Muslim identity is frowned upon and their cultural practices are a matter of debate. In politically charged contemporary India, where religion is a prominent source of conflict, an Indian Muslim woman, doubly marginalised due to her gender and community, which is in a minority, would find it difficult to find a voice as a mother. Her reflections on hijab and education are highlighted in this article as she mothers and makes an attempt to provide a voice for herself and her daughter. It is proposed that her understanding of the relationship with her mother can be crucial to her negotiation of the current dilemmas of wearing a hijab and the significance of religious and secular education. The voices were captured in in-depth interviews conducted in the capital city of Delhi and have an implicit cultural flavour of North India.