New Delhi: Several women activists and female members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday insisted that Muslim women are safe under the Shariah laws and there is no need for the government to meddle in their affairs.
“We, the Muslim women from various walks of life, schools of thought and organisations, want to make it clear that the Muslim women are safe and secure under the Muslim Personal Law,” Asma Zehra, executive member of the AIMPLB told reporters here.
She said the Muslim Personal Law is well balanced for both men and women and it regards human values, and the ruling BJP is raking up the issue of “Triple Talaq” just for electoral gains.
“As the facts stand today, incidence of divorce among the Muslims is the least and same is the case with polygamy. But, in spite of this, it is projected as if the Muslim men have no other job but to pronounce divorce,” she said.
She said that marriage is a contract in Islam, prescribing various conditions, and the women have all the rights to change the terms, and if the terms are not favourable, even the Nikah can be declined.
“If she does not say ‘qabool hai’ (I accept it), no Nikah can be validated,” she said.
Zeenath Mehtaab of the Social Reform Committee, New Delhi, pointed out that the incidence of female foeticide, female infanticide, dowry and ostentatious marriages is the least among the Muslims.
For “the people talking about gender equality and gender justice”, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Atiya Siddiqui had a few posers.
“Why 50 per cent representation for women is not there in the legislative bodies in India? What is the percentage of women in judiciary, defence forces, IITs and other top institutions,” she said.
“We hope that good sense will prevail on the present-day government and the Prime Minister would be magnanimous in withdrawing the affidavit filed before the Supreme Court for interference in the Shariah laws,” Zehra said.
A number of other women activists from various states were also present at the conference.