Interview with Zakiya Siddiqi, December 9, 2009

Partial Transcript: --is Amber Abbas.

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about when and where she was born. She then briefly talks about her family before moving to discuss her education, which was uncommon at the time for Muslim girls, as well as her sister, who was the first woman to receive a bachelor’s degree from Aligarh Muslim University. Siddiq’s father encountered resistance from the community for educating his daughters. Next, she talks about her mother's limited education, as well as her parents’ families. Siddiqi then discusses her own education before attending Aligarh Muslim University.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh girls college; Aligarh women’s college; Allahabad (India); Brothers; Degrees, academic; Education; Educators; Families; Fathers; Girls; Gorakhpur (India); Government schools; Grandfathers; Hostels; Isabella Thoburn College (I.T. College); Jahan, Roshan; Karamat Husain Muslim Girls Degree College; Marriages; Mothers; Muslims; Physicians; Prayag (India); Principals; Qur’an, the (Book); Schools; Science; Siddiqi, Zeda; Sisters; Teachers; Urdu language; Women

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Allahabad (India); Brothers; Degrees, academic; Education; Educators; Families; Fathers; Girls; Gorakhpur (India : District); Gorakhpur (India); Grandfathers; India--History; Isabella Thoburn College; Marriage; Muslims; Physicians; Principals, High school; Schools; Science; Sisters; Teachers; Urdu language; Women; Women in education

Partial Transcript: So tell me about what was it like when you came here.

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about her first impressions of Aligarh Muslim University, which allowed her greater freedom than Karamat Husain Muslim Girls Degree College. She then talks about how student life has changed since she was a student, including less emphasis on activities related to the residence halls and an increase in tension between students of differing religions. She then talks about the role Islam played in her daily life as a student.

Keywords: Aligarh Girls College; Aligarh Muslim University, Abdullah College; Aligarh Muslim University, Women’s College; Education; Food monitors; Girls; Hijabs; Hostels; Islam; Karamat Husain Muslim Girls Degree College; Mosques; Musallas; Prayer monitors; Prayer rooms; Praying; Provosts; Religion.; Residence halls; Students; Women

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Education; Food; Girls; India--History; Islam; Islamic clothing and dress; Mosques; Muslim women; Prayer; Religion.; Students; Women

Partial Transcript: Did you have any religious upbringing when you were a child?

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about her religious education as a child. She then talks about moving away from organized religion and towards humanism.

Keywords: Humanism; Islam; Muslims; Prayers; Praying; Religious education; Servants

Subjects: Humanism.; India--History; Islam; Muslims; Prayer; Religious education

Partial Transcript: So one of the things that I read about the women's college is that, in order to get parents to send their girls--

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi discusses the difficulties that faced Sheikh Abdullah as he founded the Women’s College at Aligarh Muslim University. She also talks about her insistence that the women who attended the university pursue careers.

Keywords: Abdullah, Padam Bhushan Sheikh Mohammad "Papa Mian"; Administrators; Aligarh Muslim University, Women’s College; Careers; Equality; Female Education Society; Girls; Hostels; Housewives; Islam; Provosts; Residence halls; Safety; Secretaries; Women; Writing

Subjects: Administration.; Aligarh Muslim University; Careers; Equality; Girls; Housewives; India--History; Islam; Safety.; Secretaries; Women; Women in education

Partial Transcript: Well, and so, do you think that, um--one of the question I have, this gets debated in the U.S. all the time and I know the situation is different here in India.

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about the benefits of having separate boys and girls education. She then talks about the differences she experienced moving from an all-girls school to a co-educational college. Next, Siddiqi discusses moving to the United States in order to obtain her master’s degree at Purdue University.

Keywords: Aligarh Girls College; Aligarh Muslim University, Women’s; Aligarh Muslim University, Women’s College; Boys; Clubs; Coeducation; College; Degrees, academic; Education; Freedom; Girls; Husbands; India; Karamat Husain Muslim Girls Degree College; Marriages; Muslims; Professors; Purdue University; Radcliffe College; Restaurants; United States; Women

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Boys; Clubs.; Coeducation.; Degrees, academic; Education; Freedom; Girls; Husbands; India; India--History; Marriage; Muslims; Professors; Purdue University; Radcliffe College; Restaurants; United States

Partial Transcript: So tell me when you, um, when you came on as principal and provost, what are the responsibilities of those two positions, principal and provost?

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about her responsibilities as provost and principal of Aligarh Girls College. She then discusses the highlights of her career, as well as the careers of her sisters. Next, Siddiqi talks about her insistence that she work, which caused conflict between her and her older brother.

Keywords: Aligarh Girls College; Aligarh Muslim University, Women’s College; Brothers; Center for Women’s Studies; Depression; Doctors; Dowries; Fathers; Food; Husbands; Marriages; Muslims; Physicians; Principals; Provosts; Responsibilities; Retirement; Sisters; Students; United States; University Grants Commission (UGC)

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Brothers; Depressed persons.; Dowry; Fathers; Food; Husbands; India--History; Marriage; Muslims; Physicians; Principals, high school; Responsibility; Retirement; Sisters; Students; United States

Partial Transcript: What institution are you looking after today?

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about her current job as principal at Aligarh Public School.

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Public School; Education; High schools; Mamut, N.C.; Principals; Public schools; Schools; Sir Sayyed Educational Society; Students; Women in education

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Education; High schools; India--History; Principals, High school; Public schools; Schools; Students; Women in education

Partial Transcript: Well, what do you think--it strikes me sometimes that, um, the institutions for Muslim education today are raising the same kinds of issues and problems that people like Sir Sayyed and Sheikh Abdullah were raising--

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about what she feels is the biggest challenge in Muslim education. She then talks about the importance of educating Muslims to compete in a society which discriminates against them.

Keywords: Abdullah, Padam Bhushan Sheikh Mohammad "Papa Mian"; Aligarh Muslim University; Challenges; Discrimination; Education; Girls; India; Khan, Syed Ahmad bin Muttaqi; Madrasas; Minorities; Muslims; Racism; Teachers; Women

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Challenges; Discrimination; Education; Girls; India; India--History.; Minorities; Muslims; Racism.; Teachers; Women

Partial Transcript: Well, I want, I want to change the subject a little bit.

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi discusses the subjects that were available for her to take in the Women’s College of Aligarh Muslim University. She then talks about her experiences at the university. Siddiqi also talks about her family's involvement in the Pakistan movement.

Keywords: Administration; Aligarh Muslim University, Abdullah College; Aligarh Muslim University, Women’s College; Burkas; Degrees, academic; Education; History; Islamic clothing and dress; Psychology; Sisters; Teachers; United States

Subjects: Administration; Aligarh Muslim University; Degrees, academic; Education; History; India--History; Islamic clothing and dress; Psychology; Sisters; Teachers; United States

Partial Transcript: And so what do you remember about, what was the atmosphere like in Basti in terms of, thinking about independence and independence of Pakistan and--

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi also talks about her father’s involvement in the Indian National Congress. She also talks about the secular atmosphere in her home growing up, in which both Hindus and Muslims were considered welcome. Siddiqi then talks about materialism.

Keywords: Arrests; Basti (India); Fathers; Freedom movement; Gorakhpur (India); Hindus; Husbands; Independence movement; Indian National Congress; Jails; Materialism; Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA); Migration; Muslims; Nehru, Jawaharlal; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Partition of India; Patel, Sardar Vallabhbhai; Political prisoners; Religion; Sisters; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Subjects: Arrest; Basti (India : District); Fathers; Gorakhpur (India); Hindus; Husbands; Independence movements; India--History; India--History--Partition, 1947; Indian National Congress; JAIL; Materialism; Muslims; Nehru, Jawaharlal, 1889-1964.; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Pakistan--History; Patel, Vallabhbhai, 1875-1950.; Political prisoners.; Religion; Sisters; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Partial Transcript: Well, what do you think, mmm--I'll just ask maybe one of two more small questions.

Segment Synopsis: Siddiqi talks about the limited access that Muslims have to educational opportunities and other resources that would help them be successful--which she attributes to low socioeconomic status. She also talks about the growing trend of educating girls and women.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Muslim University, Center for Women’s Studies; Bangalore (India); Careers; Daughters; Degrees, academic; Delhi (India); Discrimination; Economics; Education; Families; Gandhi, Rahul; Girls; India; Islam; Kashmir (India); Marriages; Meerut (India); Muslims; Parents; Qur’an, the (Book); Schools; Social work; Socio-economic status; Wives; Women

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Bangalore (India); Careers.; Daughters; Degrees, academic; Delhi (India); Discrimination; Economics; Education; Families; Gandhi, Rahul, 1970-; Girls; India; India--History; Islam; Kashmir (India); Marriage; Meerut (India); Muslims; Parents; Qur'an; Schools; Wives; Women