THE ROLE OF WOMEN

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN COMMUNICATING THE WORD OF GOD An Interview with Dr Naghma Siddiqi Will you please enlighten our readers with some details about your formative years? I was born in a modern Muslim household. My father Dr M. N. Siddiqi (d. 2013) and my mother Prof. Najma Siddiqi were both educationists. They provided us with good education and gave us the freedom to pursue our interests. We are three siblings. My elder sister Seema Jalal is an interior designer in Dubai. She is involved in the CPS mission. My younger brother, Faisal Siddiqi lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is an IT professional and helps with our technology needs. When my husband, Navdeep Kapur, and I joined the mission, both my parents also started attending CPS classes. I received my education primarily in Delhi, first in a convent school and later in a premier English-medium school. In the early ‘70s, I studied in the USA where my father went for his doctoral studies for five years. I graduated from Delhi University in 1983 in Zoology Honours. I always wanted to study more and even took admission to pursue my master’s in MBA and Psychology but was unable to complete these courses. In 2007, I decided to do my master’s in Islamic Studies. Though I felt I would not be able to complete even this programme, God sent His angels and enabled me to complete my master’s in Islamic Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2008 and my doctorate from Jamia Hamdard in 2017. These courses gave me the background to understand Maulana’s writings better in comparison. Dr Naghma Siddiqi is the editorial director of Spirit of Islam. She has been associated with the CPS mission for close to two decades. Her role in bringing out the teachings of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan to the world through the use of technology has been instrumental. She has designed and produced books and teaching material which highlight the message of peace and spirituality based on the Islamic Scriptures. She has dedicated her life to this mission. Her passion has permeated to her family. Dr Naghma Siddiqi along with her family members has been tirelessly working to spread the message of peace. We interviewed her to know the inspiring story of her journey. She lives in New Delhi. She can be contacted at naghma@cpsglobal.org