Muslim women’s group fights misuse of divorce laws

By Express News Service - TIRUCHY
21st November 2012 09:07 AM

Right Fight: BMMA members speaking about Muslim divorce law in Tiruchy on Tuesday | M K Ashok Kumar

When Rabithammal of Vedasandur in Dindigul district received a bond paper worth Rs 10 mentioning ‘talaq’ thrice, conveying a divorce from her husband, she approached the local Jamaat saying she did not want a separation. However, nothing was done and the couple was divorced.
Narrating this and similar such cases during an interaction with mediapersons on Tuesday, A Kamila, advisor to the Tamil Nadu chapter of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), claimed that many qazis unilaterally issued divorce notices without giving women an opportunity to narrate their side of the story.
She alleged that they selectively quoted the holy Quran and undermined its support of women’s rights.
Recounting incidents of men pronouncing ‘talaq’ over telephone, SMS and email, Kamila claimed that it was particularly poor women who were affected by such divorce laws.
“This can be prevented only when women members are included in the Jamaat,” she added.
M Dilshad, a BMMA coordinator, quoting studies, claimed that many divorces were a result of greed, with the men marrying again for dowry.
The group has drafted a legislation to prevent triple talaq, polygamy and other evils in the community. The draft, which is to be submitted to the central government next March, has won the support of several prominent Islamic clerics and parties.
The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) is an autonomous and rights-based Muslim women’s movement in India established in 2007 and works for justice, peace, democracy and development within and outside the Muslim community