IMSD was launched at a two-day convention in Mumbai on December 18, 2016. Over a hundred men and women from a dozen cities across India participated in this convention. However, IMSD finds its roots in Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD) which was launched in 2003 with more or less the same objectives but remained inactive for several years. The decision to re-launch MSD as IMSD was taken at a meeting of 33 persons, many of them MSD members, on September 3, 2016.
In keeping with its policy of ensuring at least 33% women at every level of the IMSD organisation, of the 98 Founder Members, 54 are male and 44 are female. Also in keeping with its policy, 14 of the 98 Founding Members are not Muslims, by faith or by name.
Office Bearers
Convener
Javed Anand
Co-conveners
Feroze Mithiborwala
Irfan Engineer
Mohammed Jawad
Nasreen Contractor
Noorjehan Safia Niaz
Co-ordinators
Mumbai Chapter: Feroze Mithiborewala
Delhi Chapter: Yousuf Saeed