Muslim women’s collective demand a ban on triple talaq

Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan’s latest report on talaq calls triple talaq un-Islamic and demands a ban of the practice. The report also slams various religious seminaries for upholding arbitrary divorces as valid

The Sachar Committee gave a comprehensive report about the socio-economic and educational marginalization that signifies the lives of Indian Muslim community. Their report highlighted how the largest minority ives in poverty and backwardness with a sense of fear and insecurity from communal violence. They studied the condition of the whole community in detail although they were not tasked with a particular study of the condition of Muslim women. They have however, dwelt upon aspects such as access to education and health mechanisms, public transport and public services as well as identity and security issues in relation to accessing these. The report mentions about the singling out and stereotyping about Muslim women that takes place in our society.

However, we are aware that like their fellow male citizens the Muslim women face socio-economic challenges about inclusive education, livelihoods, health care etc. Additionally and very importantly the Indian Muslim women face hardships in marriage and family emanating from the rampant misinterpretations of Quranic tenets related to marriage and divorce.

Since January 2007, in the course of our work we have come across thousands of cases of oral talaq rendering women destitute with nowhere to go. We have been hearing numerous accounts of women being rendered homeless overnight along with their children as their husbands chose to unilaterally say talaq talaq talaq. In most cases the husband’s mindset as well as action is dictated by a common sensical understanding about their “ right “ to pronounce talaq and part permanently with the wife as “given by Islam”.

Hardly is there any awareness about the actual Quranic injunctions or the meaning of triple talaq. Partly, the maulvis and qazis should accept their share in the prevalence of this malpractice as should those who have insisted on being sole arbiters of our religion in the country! Also those who have been claiming to be speaking on behalf of all Indian Muslims have a lot to answer! All of them must accept that together they have failed to build an awareness about the Quranic tenets on divorce that call for a 90 day time period of discussion, dialogue, arbitration and considered action. Perhaps with the right education and awareness this problem would not have arisen at all.

Full report here