By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: Dr Asma Zehra, executive committee member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, (AIMPLB) addressed media persons in the city and said that the Muslim community will not lie low but oppose tooth and nail if any interference is made in their personal laws by the government of the day.
“The men and womenfolk of the community would struggle together, shoulder to shoulder, if need be, spiritedly and peacefully against the forces which are hell bent on meddling with the Muslim personal laws. We strongly condemn the moves of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre backed by the RSS for trying to interfere in the Muslim personal laws and their nefarious design to formulate the Uniform Civil Code,” she said.
Addressing a public meeting of Muslim women on the topic entitled “Tahaffuz-e-Shariat aur Khwateen ki Zimmedariyan” (Protection of Islamic law and responsibilities of women), Zehra said, “India is a Secular Democratic country. Muslims are guaranteed the right to freedom of religion in the Indian Constitution. Different religious groups in our country follow their respective personal laws. Muslim Personal law is based on the Holy Book Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet’s Hadith (sayings). Islamic jurisprudence is a broad and meaningful subject”.
“We the Muslims of this country unitedly oppose any such effort to revoke the Muslim Personal Law which is an integral part of the Constitution. We the 10 crore Muslim Women of India will try to protect the Muslim Personal Law”, she added.
Dr. Asma Zehra, executive committee member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, (AIMPLB), addressing a public meeting of Muslim women in Bhopal
She said the real issues facing the Indian society nowadays are female feticide, female infanticide, dowry harassment, domestic violence and women’s safety and security. However, the irony is that these vital issues are overlooked and “Talaq” (Divorce) is debated. Forty per cent of wives in India are facing domestic violence by husband and in-laws, she added.
Dr. Zehra expressed her anguish over the much hype being created in the media and the society over the issue of triple “Talaq” in Islam. Through this, she said, it is being portrayed that on the issue of divorce, Islam is anti-woman, gender biased and against fundamental rights of women. On the contrary the reality is that in Islam women are given equal rights in every of walk of life, she emphasized.
She said that “Talaq” is the most unpleasant act allowed in Islam. Every religion has a code for divorce where men and women are given the right to get separated in case of unsuccessful marriages. Marriages in the Muslim community are 97% successful and Muslim women are safe and comfortable in the Muslim Personal Law.
She said that recent articles giving the reference of Census 2011 in which it is shown that divorcees are higher percentage in Muslim community are old statistical data. Desertion and abandonment is very less in Muslim community and the burden of children’s upkeep is not on the wife.
She questioned also as to why there is an effort by the media to tarnish and damage the image of the Muslim community. Why the Muslim community has to face the blame of gender bias and gender discrimination. Islam elevated the position of Muslim women and gave her a respectable position in the society. Muslim women are socially more empowered than women of any community because of strong family system, she argued. She appealed the media not to present false figures and numbers and try to be realistic with the issues concerning the Muslim community.
Dr. Zehra also lamented that many so-called Muslim women organisations and “Andolans” (campaigns) have erupted recently who lack basic understanding of the Holy Quran and Hadith. They fail to understand that in cases of serious differences between husband and wife, the separation is a safe exit, she added.