http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/763371.cms
'Triple talaq not a part of Koranic law'
It has been distorted, says Islamic scholar Dr Zeenat Shaukat
Ali, as Muslim Personal Law Board prepares to meet on the issue
tomorrow in Kanpur
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
SATURDAY, JULY 03, 2004
The time has never been so right to discuss what patriarchal
Muslim society is doing to women. For me, the entire issue of
the opposition to triple talaq is that of empowerment of women.
It's a religious matter, which embodies itself in the fight for
justice, a woman's dignity and human rights.
Talaq-e-Bidat, or triple talaq , is not part of Koranic law.
Countries like Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Indonesia shelved it
long ago and have strong restrictions. This law, which even top
Sunni jurists support, is based on innovations which the Prophet
never advocated and therefore needs to be challenged in a
rational way.
The Koran recognises talaq -e-ehsaan, in which a couple is given
three months to separate if they wish. In this time, they also
have a chance to reconcile. The law allows the man to divorce
and marry again three times the same woman. This has been
distorted by patriarchal society.
It is unfortunate that it's taken us over 50 years to understand
this. This is largely because Muslims have been used as a
votebank and no one wants to take the right step to restore
women's status. With more and more educated, working Muslim
women, triple talaq is a concern.
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, the highest body for
the community's welfare, found misuse of triple talaq and to
lessen the misery of women are working on a nikahnama -- laws
for women, which include the power to divorce to be made
official in India.
It's time we applaud the AIMPLB for its stand. Let there be a
fair and just decision. It's time to show how strong the liberal
intelligentsia is to face the truth despite opposition. For me,
the popular understanding of Islam is not necessarily authentic
Islam. The Prophet created human rights, offered property rights
to women but followers have interpreted it as they want.
Religion is created to promote human rights, but triple talaq is
causing its deletion.
The fear to fight the patriarchal system is largely because of
lack of knowledge of the subject. In a democracy, women cannot
be treated with such bias. Let their rightful, just place in
society be restored.
As told to Smita Deshmukh
